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Annabel 


A Novel for Young Folk 


SUZANNE METCALF 





Illustrated by Joseph Pierre Nuyttens 


The Reilly k Britton Co. 
Chicago 



COPYRIGHT, 190« 
COPYRIGHT, 1912 
by 

THE REILLY & BRITTON CO. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



t 

< ‘ ¥ 




ANNABEL 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTEB PAGE 

I Will Meets with a Rebuke 9 

II The Doctor Tells the Truth 22 

III Mr. Jordan Becomes Mysterious 35 

IV Meigs, Mushrooms and Money 48 

V Will Becomes a Hero 63 

VI A Boy and a Millionaire 80 

VII An Afternoon Call 91 

VIII The Dawn of Prosperity 102 

IX Mysteries and Suspicions Ill 

X Baiting the Trap 125 

XI On the Wrong Trail 133 

XII The “Special Messenger” 142 

XIII My Lady is Gracious 152 

XIV A Dinner in a Dress Suit 162 

XV Annabel Makes a Discovery 173 

XVI Mr. Williams Decides to Act 183 

XVII Mr. Jordan Hears a Story 190 

XVIII Will’s Best Girl 205 











LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Will and Annabel sat side by side Frontispiece 

“All right, Doctor. It’s a bargain,” answered Will 54 


Hello, Will,” said Annabel 


92 



\ 


Annabel 


CHAPTEE I 

WILL MEETS WITH A KEBUKE 

‘‘ Here are your vegetables, Nora,^^ said Will 
Carden, as he scraped his feet upon the mat be- 
fore the kitchen door of the “ big house.” 

Come in, Masther Willyum,” called the 
cook, in her cheery voice. 

So the boy obeyed the summons and pushed 
open the screen door, setting his basket upon 
the white table at Nora’s side. 

Oo, misery! but them pays is illegant,” 
she said, breaking open a green pod and eating 
the fresh, delicious contents. ‘‘ Why, Masther 
Willyum, the bloom is on ’em yet.” 

I picked them myself, Nora,” the boy an- 
swered, with a pleased laugh, ‘‘ and only a lit- 
tle while ago, at that. And you’ll find the to- 
matoes and the celery just as nice, I’m sure.” 

9 


10 


Annabel 


They can’t be bate,” responded the cook, 
emptying the basket and handing it to him. 
‘‘ Sure, I don’t know whatever we’d do widout 
yez to bring us the grand stuff, Masther Will- 
yum. ’ ’ 

I wish,” said he, hesitatingly, “ you 
wouldn’t call me ‘ master,’ Nora. Call me 
Will, as everyone else does. I’m not old enough 
’to have a handle to my name, and I’m not much 
account in the world — yet.” 

Nora’s round, good-natured face turned 
grave, and she looked at the boy with a thought- 
ful air. 

‘‘ I used to know the Cardens,” she said, 
‘‘ when they didn’t have to raise vegetables to 
earn a living.” 

Will flushed, and his eyes fell. 

“ Never mind that, Nora,” he answered, 
gently. We’ve got to judge people by what 
they are, not by what they have been. Good- 
bye ! ’ ’ and he caught up his basket and hastily 
retreated, taking care, however, to close the 
screen door properly behind him, for he knew 
the cook’s horror of flies. 

Poor boy! ” sighed Nora, as she resumed 


Annabel 


11 


her work. It ain’t his fault, at aU at all, that 
the Cardens has come down in the wurruld. 
Bnt down they is pnrty close to the bottom, an’ 
it ain’t loikly as they’ll pick up ag’in in a 
hurry. ’ ’ 

Meantime, the vegetable boy, whistling softly 
to himself, passed along the walk that led from 
the back of the big house past the stables and 
so on to the gate opening into the lane. The 
grounds of the Williams mansion were spacious 
and well kept, the lawns being like velvet and 
the flower beds filled with artistic clusters of 
rare blooming plants. A broad macadamed 
driveway, edged with curbs of dressed stone, 
curved gracefully from the carriage porch to 
the stables, crossing the lawn like a huge scroll. 

At one side of this a group of children played 
upon the grass — two boys and three girls — 
while the nurse who was supposed to have 
charge of the smallest girl, as yet scarcely more 
than a baby, sat upon a comfortable bench, en- 
gaged in reading a book. 

As Will passed, one of the little girls lay flat 
upon the ground, sobbing most dismally, her 
golden head resting upon her outstretched 


12 


Annabel 


arms. The boy hesitated an instant, and then 
put down his basket and crossed the lawn to 
where the child lay, all neglected by her com- 
panions. 

“ What's wrong, Gladie? " he asked, sitting 
on the grass beside her. 

Oh, Will," she answered, turning to him a 
tear-stained face, “ m — my d — d — dolly 's 
all bwoke, an’ Ted says she’ll h — h — have 
t’ go to a h — h — hospital, an’ Ma ’Weeze an’ 
Wedgy says they’ll m — m — make a f — fun- 
’ral an’ put dolly in the c — cold gwound, an’ 
make her dead ! ’ ’ and the full horror of the re- 
cital flooding her sensitive little heart, Gladys 
burst into a new flood of tears. 

Don’t you worry about it, Gladie,’’ he said 
in a comforting tone. ‘‘ We’ll fix dolly all 
right, in less than a jiffy. Where is she, and 
where’s she broke? ’’ 

Hope crept into the little face, begot of a 
rare confidence in the big boy beside her. 
Gladys rolled over upon the grass, uncovering 
a French doll of the jointed variety, dressed in 
very elaborate but soiled and bedraggled 
clothes and having a grimy face and a mass of 


Annabel 


13 


tangled hair. It must have been a pretty toy 
when new, but the doll had never won Gladys^ 
whole heart so long as it remained immaculate 
and respectable. In its present disreputable 
condition it had become her dearest treasure, 
and when she handed the toy to Will Carden 
and showed him where one leg was missing 
from the knee down, a fresh outburst of grief 
convulsed her. 

‘ ‘ Her 1 — leg is all b — bwoke ! ^ ’ she cried. 

‘‘ That’s bad,” said Will, examining the doll 
carefully. ‘‘ But we’ll play I’m the doctor, 
come to make her well. Where’s the other 
piece, Gladie? ” 

The child hastily searched for her pocket, 
from which, when at last the opening was 
found, she drew forth the severed leg. By this 
time the other children had discovered Will’s 
presence and with a wild whoop of greeting 
they raced to his side and squatted around him 
on the lawn, curiously watching to see how he 
would mend the doll. Theodore was about 
Will’s own age, but much shorter and inclined 
to stoutness. His face habitually wore a seri- 
ous expression and he was very quiet and stolid 


14 


Annabel 


of demeanor. Reginald, the other hoy, was 
only nine, but his nature was so reckless and 
mischievous that he was the life of the whole 
family, and his mother could always tell where 
the children were playing by listening for the 
sound of Reginald’s shrill and merry voice. 

Mary Louise was fourteen — a dark-haired, 
blue-eyed maiden whose sweet face caused 
strangers to look more than once as she passed 
them by. To be sure she was very slender — so 
slight of frame that Reginald had named her 
‘^Skinny” as a mark of his brotherly affection; 
but the girl was so dainty in her ways and so 
graceful in every movement that it was a 
wonder even her careless younger brother 
should not have recognized the fact that her 
‘^skinny” form was a promise of great beauty 
in the years to come. 

Then there was Annabel, the ‘‘ odd one ” of 
the Williams family, with a round, freckled 
face, a pug nose, tawny red hair and a wide 
mouth that was always smiling. Annabel was 
twelve, the favored comrade of her brothers 
and sisters, the despair of her lady mother be- 
cause of her ugliness of feature, and the pet of 


Annabel 


15 


Nora, the cook, because she was what that 
shrewd domestic considered “ the right stuff.’’ 
Annabel, in spite of her bright and joyous 
nature, was shy with strangers, and at times 
appeared almost as reserved as her brother 
Theodore, which often led to her being mis- 
understood. But Will Carden was no stranger 
to the Williams children, being indeed a school- 
mate, and as they flocked around him this bright 
Saturday morning they showered questions and 
greetings upon their friend in a somewhat be- 
wildering manner. 

The boy had only one thought in mind, just 
then: to comfort little Gladys by making her 
dolly as good as new.” So whistling softly, 
in his accustomed fashion, he drew out his 
pocketknife and began fishing in the hole of 
the doll’s leg for the elastic cord that had 
parted and allowed her lower joint to fall off. 
Gladys watched this operation with wide, star- 
ing eyes ; the others with more moderate inter- 
est; and presently Will caught the end of the 
cord, drew it out, and made a big knot in the 
end so it could not snap back again and disap- 
pear. Then, in the severed portion, he found 


16 


Annabel 


the other end of the broken elastic, and when 
theselwo ends had been firmly knotted together 
the joints of the leg snapped firmly into place 
and the successful operation was completed. 

‘‘ Hooray! ’’ yelled Eeginald, ‘‘It’s all right 
now, Gladie. We’ll postpone the funeral till 
another smash-up.” 

The little one’s face was wreathed with 
smiles. She hugged the restored doll fondly to 
her bosom and wiped away the last tears that 
lingered on her cheeks. The callous nurse 
looked over at the group, yawned, and resumed 
her reading. 

“ Can you make a kite fly. Will? ” asked 
Theodore, in his quiet tones. 

“ Don’t, know, Ted,” replied Will. “ What 
seems wrong with the thing? ” 

At once they all moved over to the center of 
the lawn, where a big kite lay with tangled cord 
and frazzled tail face downward upon the 
grass. 

“ It keeps ducking, and won’t go up,” ex- 
plained Eeginald, eagerly. 

“ The tail seems too long,” said Mary 
Louise. 


Annabel 


17 


Or else the cord isn’t fastened in the right 
place,” added Theodore. “ We’ve been work- 
ing at it all morning; but it won’t fly.” 

‘ ‘ Gness it ’s a gronnd-kite, ’ ’ remarked Anna- 
bel demurely. ‘‘ It slides on the grass all 
right. ’ ’ 

Will gave it a careful examination. 

Looks to me as if the brace-strings were 
wrong,” said he, resuming his low whistle, 
which was an indication that he was much in- 
terested in the problem. They don’t balance 
the kite right, you see. There, that’s better,” 
he continued, after changing the position of the 
cords; ‘‘ let’s try it now. I’ll hold it, Ted, and 
you run.” 

Theodore at once took the cord, which Will 
had swiftly untangled and rolled into a ball, and 
stood prepared to run when the kite was re- 
leased. Next moment he was off, and the kite, 
now properly balanced, rose gracefully into the 
air and pulled strong against the cord, which 
Theodore paid out until the big kite was so 
high and distant that it looked no bigger than 
your hand. 

Ted could manage the kite now while stand- 


18 


Annabel 


ing still, and tlie other children all rushed to his 
side, with their eyes fastened upon the red 
speck in the sky. 

Thank you, Will,’^ said Theodore. 

‘‘ That’s all right,” answered Will, indiffer- 
ently; ‘‘ all it needed was a little fixing. You 
could have done it yourself, if you’d only 
thought about it. How’s the sick kitten, Anna- 
bel? ” 

Fine,” said the girl. ‘‘ The medicine you 
gave me made it well right away. ’ ’ 

“ Oho! ” cried Eeginald, joyfully, ‘‘ he gave 
Annabel medicine to cure a sick kitten ! ’ ’ 

“I’ll give you some for a sick puppy, Keg- 
gie,” said Will, grinning. 

The kite-flyers were now standing in a group 
near a large bed of roses at the side of the 
house, and none of them, so intent were they 
upon their sport, had noticed that Mrs. Will- 
iams had come upon the lawn with a dainty 
basket and a pair of shears to gather flowers. 
So her voice, close beside them, presently 
startled the children and moved the inattentive 
nurse to spring up and hide her book. 


Annabel 


19 


Isn’t that the vegetable boy? ” asked the 
lady in a cold tone. 

Will swung around and pulled off his cap 
with a polite bow. 

‘‘ Yes, ma’am,” said he. 

“ Then run away, please,” she continued, 
stooping to clip a rose with her shears. 

‘‘Eun away?” he repeated, not quite able to 
understand. 

Yes! ” said she, sharply. I don’t care 
to have my children play with the vegetable 
boy.” 

The scorn conveyed by the cold, emphatic 
tones brought a sudden flush of red to Will’s 
cheeks and brow. 

‘‘ Good-bye,” he said to his companions, and 
marched proudly across the lawn to where his 
basket lay. Nor did he pause to look back un- 
til he had passed out of the grounds and the 
back gate closed behind him with a click. 

Then a wild chorus of protest arose from the 
children. 

<< Why did you do that? ” demanded Theo- 
dore of his mother. 


20 


Annabel 


He’s as good as we are,” objected Anna- 
bel. 

‘‘ It wasn’t right to hurt his feelings,” said 
Mary Louise, quietly; he can’t help being a 
vegetable boy.” 

‘‘ Silence, all of you! ” returned Mrs. Will- 
iams, sternly. ‘‘ And understand, once for all, 
that I won’t have you mixing with every low 
character in the town. If you haven’t any re- 
spect for yourselves you must respect your 
father’s wealth and position — and me.” 

There was an ominous silence for a moment. 
Then said little Gladys : 

Will’s a dood boy; an’ he fixted my dolly’s 
leg.” 

Fanny! take that rebellious child into the 
house this minute, ’ ’ commanded the great lady, 
pointing a terrible finger at her youngest otf- 
spring. 

“ I don’t want to,” wailed Gladys, resisting 
the nurse with futile determination. 

Oh, yes you will, dear,” said Mary Louise, 
softly, as she bent down to the little one. “ You 
must obey mamma, you know. Come, — I’ll go 
with you.” 


Annabel 


21 


‘‘I’ll go with Ma’-Weeze,” said the child, 
pouting and giving her mother a reproachful 
glance as she toddled away led by her big sis- 
ter, with the nurse following close behind. 

“ A nice, obedient lot of children you are, I 
must say! ” remarked Mrs. Williams, continu- 
ing to gather the flowers. ‘ ‘ And a credit, also, 
to your station in life. I sometimes despair of 
bringing you up properly.” 

There was a moment’s silence, during which 
the children glanced half fearfully at each 
other; then in order to relieve the embarrass- 
ment of the situation Annabel cried : 

“ Come on, boys; let’s go play.” 

They started at once to cross the lawn, glad 
to escape the presence of their mother in her 
present mood. 

“ Understand! ” called Mrs. Williams, look- 
ing after them; “ if that boy stops to play with 
you again I’ll have Peter put him out of the 
yard.” 

But they paid no attention to this threat, nor 
made any reply; and the poor woman sighed 
and turned to her flowers, thinking that she 
had but done her duty. 


CHAPTER II 


THE DOCTOE TELLS THE TEUTH 

Meantime, Will Carden walked slowly up the 
lane, his basket on his arm and his hands thrust 
deep into his pockets. Once out of sight of the 
Williams’ grounds his proud hearing relaxed, 
and great tears welled in his gray eyes. The 
scornful words uttered by Mrs. Williams had 
struck him like a blow and crushed and humili- 
ated him beyond measure. Yet he could not 
at first realize the full meaning of his rebuff; 
it was only after he found time to think, that 
he appreciated what she had really meant by 
the words. Her children were rich, and he was 
poor. There was a gulf between them, and the 
fine lady did not wish her children to play with 
the vegetable boy. That was all; and it was 
simple enough, to be sure. But it brought to 
Will’s heart a bitterness such as he had never 
known before in all his brief lifetime. 

He liked the Williams boys and girls. They 
had always been good comrades, and not one 
22 


Annabel 


23 


of them had ever hinted that there was any dif- 
ference in their positions. But of course they 
did not know, as their mother did, how far be- 
neath them was the poor “ vegetable boy.’’ 

Will glanced down at the worn and clumsy 
shoes upon his feet. The leather was the same 
color as the earth upon the path, for he worked 
in the garden with them, and couldn’t have kept 
them clean and polished had he so wished. His 
trousers were too short; he knew that well 
enough, but hadn’t cared about it until then. 
And they were patched in places, too, because 
his mother had an old-fashioned idea that 
patches were more respectable than rags, while 
Will knew well enough that both were evidences 
of a poverty that could not be concealed. He 
didn’t wear a coat in summer, but his gray 
shirt, although of coarse material, was clean 
and above reproach, and lots of the village boys 
wore the same sort of a cheap straw hat as the 
one perched upon his own head. 

The Williams children didn’t wear such hats, 
though. Will tried to think what they did 
wear; but he had never noticed particularly, 
although it was easy to remember that the 


24 


Annabel 


boys’ clothes were of fine cloths and velvets, 
and he had heard Flo speak of the pretty puffs 
and tucks in the Williams girls’ dresses. Yes, 
they were rich — very rich, everyone said — 
and no one knew so well as Will how very poor 
and needy the Cardens were. Perhaps it was 
quite right in Mrs. Williams not to want her 
children to associate with him. But oh! how 
hard his rejection was to bear. 

Bingham wasn’t a very big town. Formerly 
it had been merely a headquarters for the sur- 
rounding farmers, who had brought there their 
grain to be shipped on the railroad and then 
purchased their supplies at the stores before 
going back home again. But now the place was 
noted for its great steel mills, where the famous 
Williams Drop Forge Steel was made and 
shipped to all parts of the world. Three hun- 
dred workmen were employed in the low brick 
buildings that stood on the edge of the town to 
the north, close to the railway tracks ; and most 
of these workmen lived in pretty new cottages 
that had been built on grounds adjoining the 
mills, and which were owned and rented to them 


Annabel 


25 


by Chester D. Williams, the sole proprietor of 
the steel works. 

The old town, with its humble but comfort- 
able dwellings, lay scattered to the south of the 
‘ ‘ Main Street, ’ ^ whereon in a double row stood 
the ‘‘ stores of Bingham, all very prosperous 
because of the increased trade the steel mills 
had brought to the town. 

The great Williams mansion, built only a 
half dozen years before, stood upon a knoll at 
the east end of the main street, and the natural 
beauties of the well-wooded grounds had been 
added to by planting many rare shrubs and 
beds of beautiful flowers. It was not only the 
show place of Bingham but the only really 
handsome house in town, and the natives looked 
upon it with much pride and reverence. 

The cottage occupied by the Cardens stood 
upon the extreme south edge of the village, and 
with it were two acres of excellent land, where 
Will and Egbert, assisted at times by their 
mother and little Florence, raised the vege- 
tables on which their living depended. Eg- 
bert was a deaf-mute and his right arm was 
shriveled and almost useless, all these afflic- 


26 


Annabel 


tions being the result of an illness in his baby- 
hood. But it was surprising how much work 
he could do in the garden, in the way of weed- 
ing and watering and even spading; so he was 
a great help to the family and contributed 
much toward the general support. Egbert was 
two years older than Will, who was now fifteen, 
and Florence — or Flo,’’ as everybody called 
her — was a yellow-haired, sunny-natured lit- 
tle elf of ten. 

Fortunately, the family living did not de- 
pend altogether upon the garden ; for Mr. J or- 
dan, the secretary at the steel works and at 
one time John Carden’s best friend, had 
boarded with the family for eight years — ever 
since the day when Will’s father so mysteri- 
ously disappeared, only to be reported dead a 
month later, and the family fortunes were 
swept away in one breath. 

Mr. Jordan occupied the best room in the 
cottage, and paid his board regularly every 
Saturday night. He was a silent, reserved 
man, about fifty years of age, who seldom 
spoke to Mrs. Carden and never addressed the 
children. After supper his custom was to take 


Annabel 


27 


a long walk down the country lane, returning 
by a roundabout way to shut himself in his 
room, whence he only emerged in time for 
breakfast. After that meal, which he ate alone, 
he would take a little lunch basket and stalk sol- 
emnly away to the mills, there to direct the 
clerical work that came under his supervision. 

Mr. Jordan was a man greatly respected, but 
little liked. He had no friends, no companions 
whatever, and seemed to enjoy the clock-like 
regularity and solitude in which he lived. 

It was toward this humble home that Will 
Carden, after being dismissed by Mrs. Will- 
iams, directed his steps on that bright Satur- 
day forenoon. He tried hard to bear up under 
the humiliation he had suffered; but there was 
no one near to see him and for a few minutes 
he gave way to the tears that would force them- 
selves into his eyes, and let them flow unre- 
strained. Yet he kept on his way, with bent 
head and stooping shoulders, a very different 
boy from the merry, light-hearted youth who 
had carried the heavy basket to the big house 
only an hour ago. 

Suddenly, to the eyes blurred with tears, a 


28 


Annabel 


huge, dark form loomed up in the road just 
ahead of him. Will hastily wiped away the un- 
manly drops and tried to whistle. Some one 
was coming, and whoever it was must not know 
he had been guilty of crying. Also he shifted 
his path to the edge of the road; but the other 
did the same, and the hoy stopped abruptly 
with the knowledge that he had been purposely 
halted. 

Then he glanced timidly up and saw a round, 
bearded face and two shrewd but kindly eyes 
that were looking at him from beneath a 
slouched felt hat. 

Hello, Doctor,’’ he said, letting his dismal 
whistle die away, and starting to pass round 
the stalwart form before him. 

But Dr. Meigs laid a heavy hand on the boy’s 
shoulder, and made him face round again. 

What’s up. Will? ” 

The voice was big and full, yet gentle as it 
was commanding. 

Noth’n’, Doctor.” 

Look here; you’re telling whoppers, young 
man. Lift up your head.” 

Will obeyed. 


Annabel 


29 


YouVe been crying.’’ 

“ Something got in my eye,” said the boy. 

‘‘To be sure. Tears. What’s it all about, 
Will? And, mind you, no lying! Your father’s 
son should speak the truth boldly and fear- 
lessly.” 

“ Why, Doctor,” was the halting answer, 
“ it’s nothing that amounts to shucks. I 
stopped a minute to fly a kite with the Williams 
children, up at the big house, and Mrs. Will- 
iams came out and said she didn’t — ” There 
was a catch in his voice, but he quickly con- 
trolled it: “ didn’t want me to play with them. 
That’s all— Well, I’ll be going, 

Doctor. ’ ’ 

“ Halt! ” cried Dr. Meigs, sternly, and Will 
could see he was frowning in that awful way 
he had when anything especially interested 
him. “ Stand up, William! Throw back those 
shoulders — chest out — that’s the way. 
That’s how your father used to stand, my boy.” 

“ Did he? ” asked Will, brightening up. 

“ Straight as an arrow. And looked every- 
one square in the eye, and spoke the truth, as 
an honest man should.” 


30 


Annabel 


“ Then why,’’ inquired Will, half scared at 
his own boldness, did my father run away. 
Doctor Meigs? ” 

‘‘ Run away! ” roared the doctor, in a ter- 
rible voice. Who told you that? You’ve 
been listening to those lying tales of the scan- 
dal-mongers. ’ ’ 

‘‘ Didn’t he? ” timidly asked the boy. 

‘‘Not by a jugfull! ” declared the doctor, 
emphatically. “ John Carden would no more 
run away than he would do a dishonest action. 
And he was as true as steel. ’ ’ 

Will stood straight enough now, and his gray 
eyes glistened with joy and pride. Whatever 
statement old Doctor Meigs made he believed 
implicitly. The doctor had known Will since 
the day he was born — which was longer than 
Will could remember the doctor ; but there had 
never been an hour of that time when the physi- 
cian had not been the staunch friend of all the 
Carden family, and stood by them loyally in 
spite of their reverses and final poverty. He 
always called at least once a week to see Eg- 
bert, whose bad arm sometimes pained him, 
and to have a quiet chat with Mrs. Carden ; and 


Annabel 


31 


if either Will or Flo chanced to be ailing, the 
doctor was prompt with his remedies. But no 
bill had ever been presented for such services. 

‘‘ I wish you’d tell me about my father,” 
said Will, wistfully. ‘‘ Mother never says 
much about him, you know. ’ ’ 

“ Her heart is broken, my boy,” murmured 
the doctor, laying a caressing hand upon Will’s 
shoulder; ‘‘ but it’s because she has lost her 
husband and friend, not because she has for a 
moment doubted his memory. Do you see those 
big buildings over there ? ’ ’ pointing to the dis- 
tant steel works; well, before they were built, 
another and more modest building stood in 
their place, where your father first discovered 
the secret process that has since made Chester 
Williams a rich and famous man. Did you 
know that? But John Carden made himself 
poor with his experiments, and Mr. Jordan 
loaned him money to carry on the tests until 
your father was deeply in his debt. There was 
but one way out, to go to England and interest 
the great steel manufacturers of that country 
in the new process, which John Carden knew 
to be very valuable. In order to save money. 


32 


Annabel 


your father sailed in a second-class ship that 
foundered at sea and drowned him and all on 
board; and because he told only Mr. Jordan 
and myself of the object of his trip abroad, the 
story got around that he had run away, having 
failed in business, and thus cruelly deserted 
his family. Jordan is a reserved man, and 
never talks to anybody, but Vve nailed the lie 
wherever IVe heard it. Well, after your 
father’s death it was found that he had trans- 
ferred his secret process to Mr. J ordan, in re- 
turn for the money he owed him; and. Jordan 
turned the secret over to Williams, who has es- 
tablished that great factory to produce the 
wonderful quality of steel your father in- 
vented. It is said that Mr. Jordan gets a roy- 
alty on all the steel the Williams mills turn 
out, and if that is so, and I have no reason to 
doubt it, he is a wealthy man by this time, and 
is profiting a hundred-fold for the money he 
loaned John Carden. So the debt is cleared, 
and your family owes no man a penny. As for 
Jordan, I don’t like the man, myself; he’s too 
silent and stealthy to suit me; but I must say 
he’s done the square thing by your mother in 


Annabel 


33 


boarding with her right along, and so helping 
her to support her children. ^ ^ 

‘‘ It helps a lot,’^ said Will, thoughtfully. 

And now, my boy, youVe got the whole 
story about your father, and got it square and 
fair. Every time you see the Williams mills 
you ought to be proud to remember that it was 
John Carden’s genius that made them possible, 
and that has enabled Chester D. Williams to 
amass a fortune. As for Mrs. Williams, who 
was once as poor as yourself, I believe, and is 
now a bit too proud of the money her husband 
has made, don’t you pay any attention to her. 
If she doesn’t want you to play with her chil- 
dren, don’t you mind. Will. Remember that 
the Cardens have lived in Bingham for three 
generations — long before the Williamses were 
ever heard of — and there isn ’t a thing in their 
history they need be ashamed of. Poverty’s 
no crime, young man; and when you’re a little 
older poverty won’t bother you, for you’ll 
carve out a fine fortune for yourself, unless 
I’m very much mistaken.” 

Will looked into the big, whiskered face with 
grateful eyes. Dr. Meigs had not only com- 


34 


Annabel 


forted him, but made him proud of his family 
and of himself. 

Thank you, Doctor,” he said. “ I guess 
111 go, now.” 

‘ ‘ Put out your tongue ! ^ ’ commanded the 
doctor. 

Will obeyed meekly. 

‘‘ YouTe right as a trivet. Eun along, now, 
and weed that garden. And say — take half a 
peck of peas over to old Mrs. Johnson. I al- 
most forgot about it. Here’s a quarter to pay 
for them. Tell her a friend sent them around. 
I believe it was old Nelson, but I can’t remem- 
ber now.” 

Then the doctor picked up the little case in 
which he carried medicines, and strode away 
down the road, the end of his stout cane ring- 
ing on the hard earth at every step. 


CHAPTER III 


ME. JORDAN BECOMES MYSTERIOUS 

Little Flo heard WilPs merry whistle as he 
drew near, and gave a sigh of relief. It was 
dreary work weeding the radishes in the hot 
sun, without a soul to talk to. Egbert was fix- 
ing slender poles in the ground for the young 
beans to climb; but Egbert didnT count much 
as a companion, because he could neither talk 
nor hear, although he was wonderfully quick to 
understand signs, or even a movement of the 
lips; so the child was glad her brother Will 
had returned. 

He only paused to toss his basket into the 
open door of the barn, and then came straight 
to the radish bed. 

a Working, sis? ’’ he cried, cheerily. 

Mother said I must weed till noon,” she 
answered. She’s baking, so she can’t help.” 

Well, how does it go? ” he asked, kneeling 
down to assist in the labor. 

Oh, I don’t mind,” she said, in a voice 

35 


36 


Annabel 


that sounded less indifferent than the words. 

Poor folks have to work, I s’pose; but Satur- 
day ought to be a holiday — oughtn’t it, Will? ” 

‘‘ Sure enough. Where do you want to go? ” 
Mabel Allen’s got a new set of dishes for 
her birthday, and she said if I’d come over 
we’d have tea. And Annabel Williams told me 
to stop in and see Gladys’s doll’s new clothes.” 

Will’s face hardened, and his whistle died 
away. He plucked at the weeds savagely for 
a time, and then said : 

‘ ‘ Look here, Flo ; you run on and have tea 
with Mabel. I’ll ’tend to the weedin’. But I 
wouldn’t go to the big house, if I were you.” 
Why not? ” asked Flo, in surprise. 

Will thought a minute — just long enough 
to restrain the angry words that rose to his 
lips. Then he said : 

<< We’re poor, Flo, and the Williams family 
is rich, and they give themselves airs. I don’t 
know as I blame ’em any for that ; but the Car- 
dens are as good as the Williamses, even if we 
haven’t money, and I don’t like to have them 
patronize us, that ’s all. ’ ’ 

The girl looked puzzled. 


Annabel 


37 


Annabel’s always been nice to me, and I 
like ber. I like Gladys, too. Why, Will, I 
thought all the Williams children were your 
friends! ” 

‘‘ So they are,” answered Will. The chil- 
dren don’t put on airs, sis; it’s Mrs. Williams 
that don’t like them to play with poor kids, like 
us. So I wish you wouldn’t go there. When 
you see them in school, it’s all right to be 
friendly; but they never come over here, so 
don’t let’s go there.” 

“ All right. Will,” she answered, with a sigh, 
for she longed to visit the beautiful grounds 
and rooms at the big house. “ But, do you 
think you can spare me? ” 

‘‘ Easy,” said Will. 

‘ ‘ But mother said — ’ ’ 

“I’ll fix it with mother. You run along and 
have a good time.” 

Will did a lot of work in the garden that day, 
and all the time he was thinking deeply of what 
he had heard from Doctor Meigs. It never oc- 
curred to him to doubt a word of the story of 
his father’s misfortunes and death. 

At supper that night he cast many stealthy 


38 


Annabel 


looks at Mr. Jordan, who sat wholly uncon- 
scious of the scrutiny and as silent as ever. In- 
deed, this peculiar gentleman was well worthy 
of examination, aside from the fact that he had 
been a friend of John Carden in the old days. 

Mr. Jordan — his name was Ezra, but few 
were aware of that — was fully six feet in 
height, but wonderfully thin and gaunt of 
frame. His lean face was close-shaven, and his 
head was bald save for a fringe of locks above 
the ears. These were carefully brushed up- 
ward and plastered close to his shiny skull. 
But his eyebrows were thick and bushy, and 
sprinkled with gray, so that they gave him a 
rather fierce expression. Over his eyes he con- 
stantly wore big, gold-rimmed spectacles, which 
magnified the sight of those looking toward 
them; so that Mr. Jordan’s eyes became un- 
naturally large and glaring, and apt to disturb 
one’s composure and render it an uncomfort- 
able thing to stare at him for long. 

That glance of Mr. Jordan’s spectacles used 
to fill Will and Flo with awe when they were 
younger; but Will had found chances to get a 
side view of the man’s face, and beneath the 


Annabel 


39 


spectacles noted that the eyes were really small 
and watery, and of a mild blue color; so that 
now the spectacles were less horrible. 

One peculiarity of the man was that he 
walked rigidly upright — ^ ‘ as stiff as a ram- 
rod,’’ Will declared — and on his evening 
strolls he never used a cane; hut stalked away 
as slowly as a ghost, with his hands clasped 
behind his back and his spectacles staring 
straight ahead. He always wore a long frock 
coat of black and a rusty silk hat, which added 
to his tallness and made him quite remarkable. 

No one could remember when Mr. Jordan 
had not lived in Bingham; yet he had no rela- 
tives nor even intimate friends. While not re- 
puted wealthy, he was considered a man of 
means,” and everyone bowed respectfully but 
gravely to him as he passed by. At the mills 
he was called the Automaton” by the 
younger clerks, because he performed all 
duties with absolute punctuality and unvarying 
deliberation. 

No one knew why Chester D. Williams had 
given Mr. Jordan such full control of the steel 
works, but his word was law in the offices, and 


40 


Annabel 


even the proprietor assumed a different air 
whenever he addressed his secretary. As to 
the man’s capability, that conld not be doubted. 
Under his supervision no detail of the business 
was neglected and the concern ran like clock- 
work. 

The Carden children were of course accus- 
tomed to the presence of their boarder. Per- 
haps Egbert might retain a vivid recollection 
of the days when his father was alive, and Mr. 
Jordan was unknown to the parlor bedroom or 
the seat at the head of the table; but to Will 
those times were very hazy, and to Flo it 
seemed as if the boarder had always been 
there, grim and silent from the first, but now 
scarcely noticed save by tired-faced Mrs. Car- 
den, whose daily duty it was to make Mr. 
Jordan comfortable in return for the weekly 
five dollars that was so important an item to 
the little household. 

On this Saturday evening, when supper was 
over. Will sat upon a box at the entrance to the 
tumble-down shed that was called by courtesy 
a “ bam,” and watched the boarder start out 
for his regular evening walk. 


Annabel 


41 


Mr. Jordan never neglected this exercise, no 
matter what the weather might be. People in 
Bingham had long since decided that he walked 
for the benefit of his health, as a relief from the 
close confinement at the office during the day; 
and it amused the gossips that the man’s habits 
were so regular that neither wind nor snow, 
frost nor blizzard had ever yet induced him to 
vary his daily program by staying indoors. 

And he always walked in the same direction, 
turning down the lane to the left of the cottage 
and following it a full half mile to a grove of 
great oak and maple trees ; through this to the 
Danville turnpike ; along the turnpike to 
Holmes’ Cross Eoads; hack to the village, and 
through the village to the Carden house, where 
he hung up his hat and went directly to his 
room for the night. A fine walk — four miles 
at the least — and an evidence of the man’s 
perfect health and remarkable physical endur- 
ance, when his age and lean body were taken 
into consideration. 

Mr. Jordan is as tough as hickory,” the 
people declared; but as his life was so abso- 
lutely regular he was never an object of curios- 


42 


Annabel 


ity to his neighbors, who took but a casual 
interest in him. Perhaps, had he ever varied 
his program, even for a day, the act would have 
occasioned great excitement in Bingham; but 
he never did. 

To-night Will looked after him thoughtfully, 
and followed with his eyes Mr. Jordan’s up- 
right form as it moved slowly down the lane 
toward the distant grove. He wished he might 
speak with the silent man about his father. If 
Mr. Jordan had loaned John Carden money 
and stood by him during all his dark days of 
experimenting, as the doctor had said, he must 
have been a good and faithful friend, thought 
the boy. Perhaps he wouldn’t mind telling 
Will something more of those old days. 

Impelled by this idea, the boy arose and 
started across lots to overtake the solitary 
walker. When he came to the lane, Mr. Jordan 
had not yet reached the grove, but was pacing 
the road with calm and precise steps, no one 
an inch longer or shorter than another. 

Something about the rigid, unemotional form 
caused Will to hesitate. He had never spoken 
much with Mr. Jordan, and suddenly he became 


Annabel 


43 


abashed at his own temerity. Yet it was always 
hard for Will to abandon any plan he had once 
formed. He did not go back; but he slackened 
his pace, trying to think of the best way to ap- 
proach the self-absorbed man ahead of him. 
And so, while he trailed along the lane with 
halting footsteps, Mr. Jordan came to the edge 
of the grove and entered it. 

The path through the grove curved from left 
to right and back again, passing around the 
big trees that had been spared the axe on ac- 
count of some whim of their owner, who was 
none other than Mr. Jordan himself. Lumber 
men had often tried to buy this bit of fine tim- 
ber ; but the owner refused all offers. 

It will keep,’’ was his unvarying reply. 
And it had “ kept ” for many years. 

When Will reached the edge of the trees the 
man was out of sight around the bend; so the 
boy, encouraged to hasten, pressed quickly 
along until the turn in the road was reached, 
when he stopped in great surprise. 

For Mr. Jordan had halted in the center of 
the grove — really a most unexpected thing for 
him to do — and, turned half around, was star- 


44 


Annabel 


ing fixedly at a large oak that grew a few paces 
from the road. 

Now was the time for Will to join him and 
open the conversation. He realized his oppor- 
tunity, and was mustering up the necessary 
courage to advance, when Mr. Jordan walked 
straight to the oak tree, cast a hasty, half sus- 
picious glance around him, and then passed one 
hand swiftly up and down the shaggy bark of 
the trunk at a point about on a level with his 
own head. 

Will, shrinking back so as to be nearly hidden 
by a clump of bushes, stared open-mouthed at 
this amazing sight, and while he stared, Mr. 
Jordan returned to the road, faced ahead, and 
marched as stiffly and deliberately as ever upon 
his way. 

The incident had not occupied more than a 
minute’s time, but it was strange enough to de- 
prive Will of any desire to overtake or speak 
with the man he had unwittingly spied upon. 
He let Mr. Jordan continue his walk, and turn- 
ing back made his own way leisurely home. 

The next morning, when he came to think it 
all over, he decided that Mr. Jordan’s action 


Annabel 


45 


in the grove was not nearly so remarkable as he 
had considered it in the dim light of the pre- 
ceding evening. Doubtless the owner of those 
splendid trees had seen some hole in the bark 
of this oak, or had fancied it damaged in some 
way, and so had felt of the trunk to reassure 
himself. Anyone might have done the same 
thing, and for a dozen different reasons. 

Yet why did the man glance around in that 
curious half -frightened way, as if fearful of be- 
ing seen, if he was merely about to do an ordi- 
nary thing? It was the flash of that single look 
that had made Will uneasy; that rendered him 
uneasy every time he thought about it. But he 
could not explain why. If there was any one 
person in Bingham who was in no way myste- 
rious, that person was Mr. Jordan. 

Sunday was a bright, delightful day, and 
soon after the late breakfast was over the Car- 
den children, dressed in their best, started for 
the Sunday-school service, which was held be- 
fore the regular church services began. Egbert 
and Will walked on either side of little Flo, and 
the three were as merry and wholesome a 
group of young folks as one could wish to see. 


46 


Annabel 


Egbert was not a bit ill-natured or morose on 
account of bis infirmities, but always wore a 
smile upon bis cheerful face. And tbe village 
children liked him, as was easily seen by their 
pleasant nods when the three Cardens joined 
the group at the church door. 

The Williams children were there, too, and 
while Gladys grabbed Flo ^s hand and drew her 
aside with eager whispers, the others formed a 
circle around Will and Egbert and tried to 
make the former feel that they were as friendly 
as ever, in spite of their mother’s banishment 
of the ‘‘ vegetable boy ” the day before. 

‘ ‘ Mother was a little bit nervous yesterday, ’ ’ 
said Mary Louise, in her sweet and sympa- 
thetic way. ‘‘You mustn’t mind it. Will.” 

“ Of course I won’t,” he answered 
promptly. 

“ Mother,” said the saucy Annabel, in a re- 
flective tone of voice, “is a reg’lar caution 
when she gets nervous ; and she ’s nervous most 
of the time.” 

“ Mrs. Williams was quite right,” said Will; 
“ and it was lucky she sent me home, for I’d an 


Annabel 


47 


awful lot of work to do, and that kite made me 
forget all about it.” 

The bell rang just then, calling them in; but 
Eeginald whispered to Will: ^‘You’re a 
brick! ” and Theodore shyly took his friend’s 
hand and pressed it within his own as they 
entered the doorway. 

All this did much to warm Will Carden’s 
heart and restore to him his self-respect, which 
had been a little shattered by Mrs. Williams^ 
contemptuous treatment. 

However disdainful of poverty some of the 
grown folks may be, children, if they are the 
right sort, are more apt to judge a comrade by 
his quality and merit, than by the amount of 
his worldly possessions. And Will decided the 
Williams children were ‘‘ the right sort.” 


CHAPTER IV 


MEIGS, MUSHROOMS AND MONEY 

‘‘ Will,’’ said Dr. Meigs, as he stopped one 
afternoon to lean over the garden fence, ^ ‘ how 
are things going? ” 

‘‘ Pretty well. Doctor,” answered the boy, 
cheerfully. 

Are you getting ahead, and laying by 
something for the winter months, when the 
vegetables won’t grow? ” 

<< We’re getting ahead some/* said Will, be- 
coming grave; “ but it’s always a struggle for 
us in the winter, you know. I guess I’ll try to 
get a job in the steel works in October. I’m 
pretty husky, for my age, and I ought to be able 
to earn fair wages.” 

' Humph!” growled the doctor, frowning 
upon the young fellow fiercely. You think 
you’ve had schooling enough, do you? ” 

“Oh, no! But mother needs help. She’s 
getting more tired and pale-looking every day ; 
and Egbert can’t do much with his bad arm. 

48 


Annabel 


49 


So it’s a case of force, Doctor. I’ve just got 
to dig in and do something. ’ ’ 

That’s true,” replied the big doctor. 
But you’re going to be more than a mere 
laboring man when you grow up. Will Carden, 
and I don’t mean to let you get into those 
beastly mills. They’d sap your young strength 
in no time, and make you an old man before 
your years would warrant it. No; we’ll think 
of something else. Read that! ” 

He thrust a small book into the boy’s hand 
and immediately marched away down the road. 

Will looked at the book wonderingly. It was 
a treatise on mushroom culture; something he 
had never heard of before. But he spent his 
leisure during the next few days reading it 
carefully. The author told how a great deal 
of money could be made by raising mushrooms 
on a small plot of ground, under proper condi- 
tions and with intelligent care. 

When again he saw Doctor Meigs Will said 
to him: 

Here’s your book. Doctor. It’s interest- 
ing, all right; but I can’t see how I could 
possibly do anything at that business.” 


50 


Annabel 


Why not? ’’ inquired the doctor, seating 
himself calmly by Will ^s side, with the evident 
intention of arguing the question. 

‘‘ In the first place,’’ said Will, ‘‘I’ve got no 
way to raise mushrooms. They need a warm 
spot of earth, to do well, and a rich soil, and 
plenty of shade.” 

“ Good! ” said the doctor, nodding approval. 
“ I see you’ve paid some attention to the mat- 
ter. Well, that old bam of yours is just the 
place. ’ ’ 

“ The bam! ” 

“ Surely. I’ve just been examining it. It 
never was anything more than a shed, without 
even a floor; and for a long time, while Deacon 
Wilder owned this place, horses and cattle were 
kept there. The soil in that bam is two feet 
thick and very rich. It’ll grow mushrooms like 
sixty! ” 

“ But it’s cold in the barn, in winter. The 
boards are falling otf in places, and — ” 

“ We’ll patch it up,” said the doctor, with 
decision; “ and we’ll put a heater in it — one 
of these regular greenhouse boilers, with hot- 
water pipes running under the surface of the 


Annabel 


51 


ground, so as to keep the soil always warm. 
Firewood doesn’t cost much in this part of the 
country. ’ ’ 

Will smiled at such cheerful optimism. 

And when you’ve raised the things,” he 
said, what are you going to do with them? 
The Bingham people wouldn’t buy ten cents’ 
worth of mushrooms in ten years.” 

The doctor snorted contemptuously. 

‘‘ The Bingham people! Do you think I’m a 
fool. Will Carden? ” 

Who then? ” 

< < Why, it ’s only twenty-two miles to the city. 
There are four trains every day. In the city are 
a thousand customers longing to buy mush- 
rooms, in season and out, and willing to pay 
big prices for them, too.” 

Will whistled, thoughtfully. 

‘‘It’s a bigger thing than I expected,” he 
acknowledged. “ But, Doctor, it’s out of the 
question. I wouldn’t dare risk our little sav- 
ings in this experiment, and aside from what’s 
put by for the winter, I haven’t enough money 
to buy the spawn to start with ; or patch up the 


52 


Annabel 


barn; or buy the water heater; or even market 
the stuff when it’s grown.” 

Who said anything about your spending 
money? ” demanded the doctor, roughly. All 
I want of you, sir, is to hire out to me to raise 
mushrooms. I’m going into the business.” 

“ You! ” 

“ Yes, me. Confound it. Will Carden, do you 
think I’ve no ambition, just because I’m a 
country doctor? My daughter, that married 
the wholesale grocer in the city, has three chil- 
dren already, and they’ve got to be looked 
after.” 

Can’t the wholesale grocer do that? ” 
asked Will, with twinkling eyes. 

‘‘ I’ve a right to leave a fortune to my own 
grandchildren if I want to,” growled the 
doctor; ‘‘ and it’s none of your business, any- 
■^9,y, young fellow. The question is, will you 
hire out to me? You and Egbert; I want the 
two of you. The wages will be small, but 
they’ll be sure — even if I have to collect some 
bills to pay them. And I’ll furnish all the cap- 
ital needed to fix up the bam and start things 
going.” 


Annabel 


53 


Will fairly gasped with astonishment. 

“ Do you really mean it, Doctor? he asked. 

“ I usually mean what I say,’’ was the gruff 
retort. ‘‘Now, then, answer me! And, by 
hookey, if you refuse I’ll charge you two dol- 
lars for this consultation I Doctors can’t waste 
their time for nothing.” 

“ K you mean it. Doctor, of course I’ll hire 
out to you ; and so will Egbert. ’ ’ 

“ It won’t interfere with your schooling, you 
know. You’ll have to get up early mornings, 
and perhaps some cold nights you won’t get 
much sleep, with tending the fires; but there’ll 
be plenty of time for you to go to school, and 
poor Egbert can study his deaf-and-dumb les- 
sons in the shed as well as anywhere else, while 
you’re away.” 

It must be mentioned here that Egbert had 
failed to learn to read and write at the village 
school, and through the doctor’s influence was 
now receiving lessons by correspondence from 
a prominent deaf-mute academy in New York, 
by means of which his progress had lately 
become marked and rapid. 

“ All right. Doctor. It’s a bargain,” an- 


54 


Annabel 


nounced Will, in a subdued voice but with a 
new sparkle in his eyes. ‘‘ Give me that book 
again. I’ll have to study it, I guess. When 
shall we begin? ” 

“ The first of August,” said Doctor Meigs, 
seriously. ‘‘ It’s a vacation month, and you’ll 
have a lot to do getting things in shape. I’ll 
have Joe Higgins fix the barn up. He owes me 
a big bill, and that’s the only way I’ll ever get 
my pay. And Joe’s a pretty fair carpenter. 
Now, about wages. They’ve got to be small to 
start with. I’ll give you and Egbert ten dollars 
a month each.” 

“ Ten dollars! ” 

That’ll make twenty for the two of you. 
It’s small, but it’s all I can afford at first. But, 
to make up for that. I’ll give you. Will, a work- 
ing interest in the business.” 

‘‘ What’s that? ” asked the boy. 

Why, after all expenses are paid, including 
your wages, we’ll divide the profits.” 

Will looked into the kindly eyes, and his own 
dimmed. 

‘‘ Doctor,” said he, ‘‘ you’re the best friend 


Annabel 


55 


a fellow ever had. But it^s too much. I won’t 
take it.” 

How do you know there’s going to be any 
profit? ” demanded the doctor sternly. ‘‘ And 
if there is, who’ll make it? Don’t you he a con- 
founded idiot, Will Carden, and bother me 
when I’m trying to drive a bargain. I know 
what I’m doing, and those grandchildren have 
got to be provided for. ’ ’ 

‘‘ Suppose we fail? ” questioned Will, half 
fearfully. 

Bosh! We can’t fail. I’ve talked with 
that wholesale grocer son-in-law of mine, and 
he agrees to find customers for all the toad- 
stools we can raise. So it’s up to you, old 
fellow, to sprout the mushrooms and then the 
thing’s settled.” 

‘‘I’ll do the best I can. Doctor.” 

“ Then it’s all agreed, and I’ll draw up the 
papers for you to sign.” 

“ Papers! ” 

“ Of course. This is an important business, 
and it’s got to be ship-shape, and in writing, so 
there’ll be no backing out. Suppose that whole- 


56 


Annabel 


sale grocer goes bankrupt — what ’s to become 
of my grandchildren! 

Then he picked up his medicine case and 
stalked away, leaving the boy thoroughly be- 
wildered by the propositions he had advanced. 

He told Egbert about it, for all of the Carden 
family were familiar with the sign language, 
and the deaf-mute at once became greatly in- 
terested, and eagerly agreed to imdertake his 
share of the work. Also, he told his mother, 
and the poor woman sat down and cried softly, 
afterwards wiping away the tears with a corner 
of her apron. She was really tired with all the 
house work, and the prospect of twenty dollars 
a month added to their income seemed like a 
fortune to her. But she said : 

I’m afraid the doctor can’t atford it. Will.” 

‘ ‘ Afford it ! ” he exclaimed. ‘ ^ Why, mother, 
I wouldn’t think of taking the wages unless I 
felt sure of making a profit. He seems mighty 
certain about it, and if work will help to win 
out, we’ll do it, sure as shootin’! ” 

Which proved that he had caught some of 
the doctor’s own enthusiasm. 

For a week the boy heard nothing more about 


Annabel 


57 


the partnership, but at the end of that time a 
load of lumber arrived from the Bingham lum- 
beryard, and soon after Joe Higgins, the 
carpenter, walked up to the barn with his 
basket of tools, and with a nod to Will took off 
his coat and started to work. 

Next day came the doctor with a big, legal- 
looking document for Will to sign, which he 
first read in a solemn voice from beginning to 
end. It set forth clearly the terms of their con- 
tract, and after the boy had signed his name 
under the doctor’s he began to feel the magni- 
tude of the undertaking, and the responsibility 
put upon his young shoulders. Doctor Meigs 
also brought more literature treating of mush- 
room culture, which he advised Will to study 
carefully. 

Joe Higgins worked three weeks repairing 
the barn. He not only made it what he called 

air-tight,” but in the east end he partitioned 
off a room, and built a floor to it, and then put 
an outside window and door in, making it very 
cozy and comfortable. This was to be the 

office,” where the heater was also to be 
placed, so that it would warm the room as well 


58 


Annabel 


as supply hot water to the pipes extending 
under the ground in all directions throughout 
the interior of the big bam. 

The room was hardly completed before the 
heater arrived from the city, with men to set it 
up and arrange the system of pipes. Will dug 
all the trenches for the pipes to lie in, and then 
with Egbert’s help covered them over again. 
Also, the two boys devoted days to another im- 
portant work, which was the placing of straw 
all around the outside edge of the bam, and 
covering it with a bank of earth that reached 
well up onto the boarding. This was to keep 
the frost from getting inside. 

The wisdom of the doctor in starting this 
work in August was now apparent, for the en- 
tire month was consumed in getting the bam 
in shape and spading up the rich soil ready to 
receive the mushroom spawn. 

Early in September the industry was started, 
and in a few days thereafter small mushrooms, 
that looked like buttons, thmst their heads 
above the earth within the warm, damp barn, 
and speedily grew to a size that permitted them 
to be marketed. 


Annabel 


59 


The doctor carried the first picking home 
with him, and Will took the next lot to the big 
house and sold them to the astonished and de- 
lighted Nora, who placed an order for a pound 
of them every week. But soon the crop began 
to mature very fast, and by the doctor ^s orders 
Will packed them in paper boxes holding a 
pound each, and afterward arranged the boxes 
in a neat crate, which he shipped by express to 
the wholesale grocer in the city whose children 
their grandfather was so greatly interested in. 
The doctor supplied the boxes and crates, and 
on the former was printed: ‘‘ Carden & Co.’s 
Fresh Mushrooms. Warranted Wholesome 
and Delicious.” And below followed several 
recipes for cooking mushrooms, printed for the 
benefit of those who were unaccustomed to pre- 
paring them. Nora furnished some of the 
recipes, and old Mrs. Meigs the rest, so Will 
felt sure they would be successful. 

For two or three weeks Carden & Co. shipped 
a crate of mushrooms daily to the city. Then 
something went wrong; the crop failed sud- 
denly, and the spawn was discovered to be dead 
and useless. The doctor helped Will to inves- 


60 


Annabel 


tigate the cause of the trouble, and afterward 
to overcome it; and then fresh spawn was 
planted and the mushrooms began to grow 
again. 

The wholesale grocer wrote that he was 
much annoyed by this delay. The demand for 
mushrooms in the city was much greater than 
the supply, and his customers were disap- 
pointed when they didn’t get them. 

<< WeVe been selling too cheap,” de- 
clared the doctor. This is a good time to 
raise the price. We’ll get fifty cents a pound, 
hereafter. ’ ’ 

It seemed a large price to Will, for now the 
mushrooms grew with scarcely any care, and 
he found he was able to attend school and also 
look after the work very easily. It was not 
until cold weather crept on that the task became 
at all arduous; but the frosty nights obliged 
the two boys to watch the fires carefully, and 
finally Will and Egbert moved their bed to the 
little room at the end of the barn and slept 
there comfortably during the remainder of the 
winter, so they could attend to business 
properly. ’ ’ 


Annabel 


61 


The wholesale grocer son-in-law sent all the 
money received for the sale of the mushrooms 
to the doctor, so Will did not know exactly how 
the business was coming along, for he had no 
idea how much money the doctor had spent in 
preparation. But the monthly wages were paid 
to the boys with great regularity, and on the 
first day of January the doctor declared the 
first dividend, paying Will forty-three dollars 
as his share of the profits up to date. 

There was no prouder boy in Bingham than 
Will Carden when he realized he was engaged 
in a successful business venture. He had al- 
ready started a bank account, for the family 
needs did not require all the money the two 
boys earned as wages, and Will declared that 
this forty-three dollars should never be touched 
unless absolutely necessary, as it was to remain 
in the bank as the foundation of his fortune. 
We will know later who it was that suggested 
this idea to him. 

‘‘ Better than working in the mills, isnT it? 
said the doctor triumphantly, while for once 
he allowed a smile to spread over his round, 
whiskered face. 


62 


Annabel 


‘‘ Indeed it is/’ answered the grateful boy. 

And I owe everything to you, Doctor.” 

‘‘Nonsense!” returned the doctor, begin- 
ning to frown ; ‘ ‘ you owe it all to your own 
industry, and to the fact that my poor grand- 
children need looking after.” 


CHAPTER V 


WILL BECOMES A HEKO 

It was during this winter, his sixteenth year, 
when Will entered upon the footing of a suc- 
cessful ‘‘ business man,” that two important 
adventures befell him. 

The first was on one cold Saturday in No- 
vember just before the snow fell. The gray 
sky warned the boy that a storm was likely to 
set in, and as he needed more firewood for the 
heater he resolved to go into the grove and 
pick up all the dead branches which the wind 
had blown from the trees, and to put them in 
piles so that Nick Wells, the carter, could come 
for them on Monday morning. So he put some 
luncheon in his basket and, telling his mother 
he would not be home for supper, hastened 
away to the grove, leaving Egbert to care for 
the fire in the ‘ ‘ ofiice. ^ ^ 

There was plenty of dead wood lying around 
the grove, and Will worked steadily piling it 
up until evening approached and it grew dusk. 

63 


64 


Annabel 


He was just about to stop work and return 
home when he heard a sound of footsteps ap- 
proaching, and stood silent a little way from 
the path to watch Mr. Jordan pass by on his 
regular evening walk, which he permitted 
nothing to interrupt. 

To WilPs astonishment the man stopped ab- 
ruptly in the middle of the grove and gazed 
earnestly at an oak tree. Then, exactly as he 
had done on that other evening when Will had 
watched him, he walked up to the tree and 
passed his hand hurriedly up and down the 
rough bark, returning almost immediately to 
the path to continue on his way. 

This repetition of the same curious action 
Will had before noticed filled the boy with sur- 
prise, and puzzled him greatly. What possible 
object could Mr. Jordan have in feeling of the 
bark of an oak tree situated in the center of a 
deserted grove, where few people ever passed? 

But while he pondered the matter, darkness 
fell upon the grove, and he was obliged to 
hasten home to relieve Egbert. 

It snowed a little during the night, and all 
day Sunday a thin white mantle lay upon the 


Annabel 


65 


frozen ground. Mr. Jordan took his usual 
evening walk, and Will looked after him 
thoughtfully, wondering if he made a regular 
practice of stopping to feel the bark of the oak 
tree. But he made no attempt to follow his 
mother’s boarder, as the boy would have con- 
sidered it a mean trick to spy upon the man, 
however peculiar he might be. 

Yet early on Monday morning, when he 
drove over to the grove with Nick Wells to load 
the wood he had piled up. Will could not resist 
the temptation to go to the tree and see if Mr. 
Jordan had indeed stopped there the evening 
before. Yes, there were the tracks of his boots, 
clearly outlined in the snow. Will knew exactly 
the way he had walked to the tree, cast that 
furtive glance over his shoulder, and then 
passed his hand up and down the bark. 

But why? That was the question; and 
surely it might well puzzle older heads than 
that of Will Carden. 

The other adventure referred to had a dis- 
tinct bearing upon the boy’s future life, and 
made him the village hero for many months 
to come. 


66 


Annabel 


Christmas week arrived with weather sharp 
and cold, although wonderfully brisk and exhil- 
arating. One of the chief pleasures of the 
young folks of Bingham in winter was to skate 
upon Marshall’s pond, a broad stretch of deep 
water lying just west of the town, and not far 
from the Williams homestead. This pond was 
fed by a small brook that wound for miles 
through the country, and here the Bingham 
iceman harvested his supply each winter, often 
cutting holes in the ice which, when lightly 
frozen over, made dangerous places for the 
skaters, who did well to avoid them. 

The day following Christmas a large crowd 
of youngsters assembled at the pond for skat- 
ing, many of the boys and girls being anxious 
to try the new skates Santa Claus had brought 
them. The Williams children were all there 
except little Gladys, and Will Carden came 
over also, for he was an expert skater and had 
decided that an afternoon’s sport would do 
him good. 

It was a merry throng, indeed, and Will was 
gliding along over the ice with Mary Louise 
when a sharp scream reached his ears and he 


Annabel 


67 


saw the children scattering from one spot like 
a flock of frightened sheep. 

Will dropped Mary Louise’s hand and sped 
as quickly as possible toward the place. He 
had known in an instant that an accident had 
occurred, and as he drew near he saw that the 
ice had broken. Then a small arm came into 
view above the surface, its fingers clutching 
wildly for support before it again disappeared. 

Without hesitation Will flew toward the hole. 
The ice cracked and gave way as he reached 
the edge, and immediately he plunged into the 
water, where he kept his wits and began 
reaching in every direction for the drowning 
form he had noted. 

From those standing at a safe distance a cry 
of horror arose; but it quickly changed to a 
shout of joy as Will Carden rose to the surface 
and caught at the edge of the ice for support, 
for in one arm he held Annabel Williams’ 
almost lifeless form. 

‘‘ Shove us a rail, you fellows! ” he called, 
wisely refraining from trying to draw himself 
up by the flimsy edge of ice he clutched. 

The boys were quick to understand what he 


68 


Annabel 


wanted, and a score of willing hands tore the 
rails from a fence that came down to the shore 
of the pond, and slid them along the ice so that 
they reached across the hole and both ends 
rested on a firm foundation. Will seized the 
first one that came within reach, and then a 
couple of the boys crept out upon the rails and 
caught hold of Annabel, drawing her from the 
icy water and carrying her safely to land. 
Others assisted Will and although he was drip- 
ping wet and his teeth chattered with cold, as 
soon as he reached safe ice he shook off the 
supporting hands of his friends and walked 
over to the unconscious girl. 

Give me all the shawls and wraps you can 
spare! ’’ he cried, and as they were eagerly 
offered he wrapped them around Annabel and 
then lifted her in his arms and started at his 
best pace for the Williams house, which was 
fortunately the nearest in the village to the 
pond. 

Other boys offered to help him, but Will 
shook his head and plunged on, the curious 
crowd following at his heels, while one or two 


Annabel 


69 


volunteered to run ahead and warn the family 
of the accident. 

Mary Louise paced at WilLs side, sobbing 
bitterly. 

‘‘ It’s all right; don’t cry,” he said to her. 
“ I can feel Annabel stirring in my arms, and 
I’m sure she’s alive.” 

As they reached the gate that marked the 
entrance to the grounds a stout little man 
bounded down the path toward them, bare- 
headed and with a look of fear in his protrud- 
ing eyes. 

“ Give her to me! Give me my child! ” he 
said ; and Will placed his burden at once in the 
father’s arms and turned away. For he was 
shivering in every bone of his body, and knew 
he ought to get home and change his own 
clothes as soon as possible. 

Mr. Williams carried Annabel into the house, 
issuing as he went a string of commands. 

Jane, prepare a hot water bath; Fanny, 
send Peter for the doctor; Nora, bring me 
some towels and warm flannels,” and so on 
until all the servants were running about upon 
their various errands. 


70 


Annabel 


He carried the girl to her room, and tore or 
cut away her clothing, plunging her as quickly 
as possible into a warm bath. She was quite 
conscious now, and kept saying: I^m all 

right, papa! I’m all right.” 

But the man grimly insisted on carrying out 
his plans, and after the bath rolled her in warm 
flannels and tucked his child snugly into bed. 

“ Mrs. Williams’ compliments, sir,” said the 
servant; “ and she begs to know how is the 
little girl.” 

‘ ‘ Tell Mrs. Williams not to disturb herself, ’ ’ 
he answered, gruffly ; but Annabel herself called 
a more satisfactory message, for she said: 

‘‘I’m all right, tell mamma.” 

Nora, blubbering with joy and thankfulness, 
for Annabel was her especial pet, brought in a 
bowl of hot lemonade, which Mr. Williams 
forced the convalescent to drink. And then 
Doctor Meigs arrived, and after a glance 
around the room and a brief examination of 
his patient, nodded his shaggy head in 
approval. 

“ She’ll come along nicely, sir,” he said; 
“ thanks to your prompt and intelligent meth- 


Annabel 


71 


ods. But it was a close call for the little one. 
Who pulled her out? ’’ 

‘‘ I haven’t heard,” replied the great man, 
looking up with sudden interest. “ But I’ll 
find out at once, for whoever it was most cer- 
tainly saved her life.” 

‘‘ It was Will Carden,” said Theodore, who 
had entered unobserved, and stood just behind 
them. 

‘ ‘ I might have suspected that^ ’ ’ remarked the 
doctor, dryly, but there was a tone of pride in 
his deep voice that he could not disguise. 

“ Carden? ” said Mr. Williams, reflectively; 
‘‘ Carden? I wonder if he is any relation to 
John Carden, who — ” 

Just his son, sir,” interrupted Doctor 
Meigs calmly. ‘‘ The son of that John Carden 
who discovered the process of making steel 
which your mills are now using. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ I know ; I know ! ’ ’ said Mr. Williams hast- 
ily. Then he bent down and kissed Annabel’s 
white brow. 

‘‘ I like Will,” she whispered. 

Try to sleep, my darling,” he answered. 


72 


Annabel 


gently. Fanny will sit by you; and, if you 
want me, send at once.’^ 

Then he stood up, cast another loving glance 
at his daughter, and followed by the doctor left 
the room. 

Few strangers would have supposed Chester 
D. Williams to be a successful business man, if 
they judged him superficially by his appear- 
ance. Unlike his lady wife, he assumed no airs 
or mannerisms that might distinguish him from 
any other man you came across. His clothes, 
although made by an excellent tailor, were 
carelessly worn, and had not his wife kept 
careful watch of him he would have continued 
to wear one necktie until its edges were dis- 
gracefully frayed. In build the man was not 
very prepossessing, being below medium height 
and inclined to stoutness, while his beardless 
face was round and red and only his kindly 
eyes redeemed his features from being excep- 
tionally plain. 

Yet in the big outside world people liked 
Chester Williams and respected his ability. 
No one knew better how to obtain a favorable 
contract for steel, or fulfilled it more exactly 


Annabel 


73 


to the letter of the agreement. In mechanical 
industries he was acknowledged a great man, 
and was known to have accumulated an im- 
mense fortune. Here in Bingham, where he 
was seldom seen, for his business in the city 
claimed a large share of his time, the owner of 
the steel mills was an absolute autocrat, and 
his word was law to the simple villagers. Yet 
he had never abused their trust and confidence 
in him. 

“ Step in here a moment, doctor,’’ he said, 
pushing open the door to his study. So Doctor 
Meigs followed him in and sat down. 

‘‘ I am very grateful for my child’s rescue,” 
began Mr. Williams, with a slight tremor in his 
voice. Tell me. Doctor Meigs, what sort of 
boy is this Will Carden who proved himself so 
brave this afternoon? ” 

I can’t say,” replied the doctor, a merry 
twinkle in his eye. That is, with modesty. 
For Will is my partner.” 

A doctor! ” 

No; a mushroom grower.” 

Mr. Williams seemed puzzled, but waited to 
hear more. 


74 


Annabel 


‘‘You’d better see the boy yourself,” con- 
tinued the doctor. “He’s proud, you’ll find; 
and he’s very poor.” 

“ Poor! ” 

“ Yes. His father lost all his money in ex- 
perimenting with that steel process; and then 
he started for London and was lost at sea. 
Therefore, the family is dependent mostly 
upon the industry of this. boy.” 

“ I see.” 

For a moment the mill owner remained lost 
in thought. Then he asked ; 

“ How did Jordan get the control of John 
Carden’s secret process! ” 

“ I never knew the particulars,” replied 
Doctor Meigs; “ but Mr. Jordan has told me 
that he loaned Mr. Carden money to carry on 
his experiments.” 

“ Bosh! Jordan never had a dollar in his 
life until after I made the deal with him and 
started these mills. He was nothing but an 
humble clerk in the bank here.” 

“ I remember,” said the doctor, regarding 
the other man with a blank expression. 

“ But at the time I made my arrangements 


Annabel 


75 


with Jordan he showed me a paper signed by 
J ohn Carden which transferred all his interest 
in the secret process, together with the for- 
mula itself, to Ezra Jordan, in consideration of 
the sum of ten thousand dollars.’^ 

Ten thousand dollars! ejaculated the 
doctor. 

Which Jordan never owned,’’ said Will- 
iams, slapping his knee emphatically. When 
I inquired at the bank, the cashier told me that 
Jordan had never had any money except his 
salary, and it is certain he had not embezzled 
a dollar while in the employ of the bank. But 
it was none of my business, after all. Only, 
Jordan drove such a hard bargain with me for 
the use of his process that I’m paying him a 
fortune every year, in royalties, and he runs 
the works himself, so as to be sure I don’t rob 
him. The paper executed by John Carden 
seems genuine, and the only thing that puzzles 
me is why he transferred such a valuable 
secret, just as it was proven a success, to a man 
he could not possibly have borrowed money 
from, because the man never had it to lend.” 

You astonish me,” said Doctor Meigs, with 


76 


Annabel 


evident sincerity. IVe never been able to 
understand Mr. Jordan, myself. He is a very 
reserved individual, and I knew that he was 
quite intimate with John Carden, before the 
latter left Bingham on his fatal journey. But 
that there was anything wrong or at all sus- 
picious in Jordan’s dealings with his old 
friend, I have never even dreamed. ’ ’ 

a Tjiere may be nothing wrong at all,” re- 
turned Mr. Williams. ‘‘ But in that case the 
inventor of the best steel process in the world 
was a fool.” 

Doctor Meigs made no reply, but rose to take 
his leave; and after showing the physician to 
the door Mr. Williams turned into the sitting 
room, where the lamps had been lighted. All 
the children were there but Annabel, who was 
reported to have fallen asleep, and it was good 
to observe how eagerly they clustered about 
their father’s knee, and how fond they seemed 
to be of him. 

Mrs. Williams presently sent word that she 
was so upset by Annabel’s careless acci- 
dent ” that she would dine alone in her own 
room, and the children greeted this announce- 


Annabel 


77 


ment with a whoop of delight that made their 
father frown and turn more red than usual, 
with shamed chagrin. They trooped into the 
dining room happy and content, and as soon 
as they were seated, began to chatter of Will 
Carden. 

Do you know him? ’’ asked the father. 

Know Will Carden! Well, I guess we 
do! ’’ replied boisterous Reginald. 

We all like Will,’^ said Mary Louise, in 
her gentle voice; and if he had not been so 
prompt to rescue Annabel I am sure she would 
have been drowned, for everyone else was too 
frightened to move. But Will didn’t wait a 
minute. He plunged right in after her. ’ ’ 

He is a brave boy,” said Mr. Williams. 

And he can do lots of things,” remarked 
Theodore, slowly. 

He fixted my dolly’s leg! ” shouted 
Gladys, anxious to testify in her friend’s be- 
half. 

‘‘ Yes, and mamma sent him about his busi- 
ness, and wouldn’t let him play with us,” 
added Reggie, in a grieved tone. 

<< Why? ” asked the father. 


78 


Annabel 


‘‘ Oh, because he^s a vegetable boy, and poor. 
She said we’d got to respect your position in 
society,” replied Eeginald, with a grin. 

‘‘ She scolded me awfully,” declared Gladys, 
nodding her head sagely. 

Hush, my daughter,” said Mr. Williams, 
with unaccustomed severity. You must not 
criticise mamma’s actions, for she loves you all 
and tries to act for your best good. But it’s 
nothing against Will Carden to be a vegetable 
boy, you know. How old is he I ” 

About sixteen, I think,” said Mary Louise. 

Well, when I was his age,” continued Mr. 
Williams, ‘‘ I was shovelling coal in a smelting 
furnace.” 

That isn’t as respectable as being a vege- 
table boy, is it? ” asked Theodore, gravely. 

Both callings are respectable, if they en- 
able one to earn an honest livelihood,” re- 
turned his father, with a smile. ‘‘ There is no 
disgrace at all in poverty. The only thing that 
hopelessly condemns a person is laziness or 
idle inaction.” 

But mother ” began Reginald. 

Mother sometimes forgets how very poor 


Annabel 


79 


we ourselves used to be,” interrupted Mr. 
Williams, looking earnestly into the circle of 
eager faces ; ‘ ‘ and I am very glad she can for- 
get it. Ill talk to her, however, about your 
friend Will Carden, and I’ve no doubt when 
she learns how brave he has been she will at 
once withdraw her objections to his playing 
with you.” 

Thank you, papa,” said Mary Louise, 
reaching out to take his hand in her slim white 
one. 

You ’re all right, daddy, and we love 
you! ” exclaimed Reggie, earnestly. 

The great mill owner flushed with pleasure, 
and his eyes grew bright and moist. 

But,” observed Gladys, her mouth full of 
bread and butter, “ mamma scolds me lots o’ 
times. ’ ’ 

^‘Hush!” commanded her father, sternly; 
and a cloud came over his face and drove the 
joy from his eyes. 


CHAPTER VI 


A BOY AND A MILLIONAIRE 

Will Carden, little the worse for his duck- 
ing of the day before, sat in his little ‘‘ office 
at the end of the barn, his feet braced against 
the heater, his chair tipped backward, and his 
eyes fastened upon an open letter he held in 
both hands. 

He had read it a dozen times since Peter, the 
coachman up at the big house, had brought it 
to him, and he was now reading it once more. 

It was very brief, simply saying: Please 

call at my office at your convenience.” But it 
was signed Chester D. Williams,” in big, 
bold script, and that signature. Will reflected, 
would be good for thousands of dollars — even 
hundreds of thousands — if signed to a check. 

While the boy was thus engaged, the door 
burst open and Doctor Meigs entered, stamp- 
ing the snow from his feet and shaking it from 
his shoulders as a shaggy Newfoundland dog 
shakes off the rain. It had been snowing for 
80 


Annabel 


81 


an hour, and the big flakes were falling slowly 
and softly, as if they had a mission to fulfill 
and plenty of time to accomplish it. 

Hello, Doctor, said Will, cheerily. 

Eead that.” 

Doctor Meigs took the letter, sat down, and 
read it carefully. Then he looked up. 

How’s your throat? ” he asked. 

‘‘ All right,” said Will. 

‘‘ Sore, any? ” 

Not a bit.” 

Feel chills creeping up your back? ” 

No.” 

Head hot? ” 

<< Why, I’m all right. Doctor.” 

‘ ‘ Put out your tongue ! ’ ’ 

Will obeyed, just as he had done ever since 
he could remember. 

< < H — m ! Strange — very strange, ’ ’ mut- 
tered the doctor. 

What’s strange? ” asked the boy. 

That you’re fool enough to jump into ice- 
water, and clever enough to beat the doctor out 
of his just dues afterward.” 

Will laughed. 


82 


Annabel 


How’s Annabel? ” be asked. 

As good as ever. Why did you pull her 
out so quick, you young rascal? Don’t you 
know Chester D. Williams is rich enough to 
pay a big doctor’s bill? ” 

‘‘ I was afraid at first,” answered the boy, 
reflectively, ‘‘ that I hadn’t pulled Nan out 
quick enough. It was a close call, and no mis- 
take. ’ ’ 

Well, your reward is at hand. The whole 
town is praising you, and calling you a hero. 
And the great man himself has sent for you.” 

Will shifted uneasily in his chair. 

‘‘ You know. Doctor, it wasn’t anything at 
all,” he said. 

‘‘ Of course not. One girl, more or less, in 
the world doesn’t make much difference.” 

‘ ‘ I don ’t mean that. Annabel ’s a brick, and 
worth jumping into twenty ponds for. But 
anyone could have done the same as I did. ’ ’ 

To be sure. How are the toadstools com- 
ing? ” 

Will knew the doctor was in a good humor 
when he called their product ‘‘ toadstools.” 


Annabel 


83 


If he was at all worried he spoke of them as 

mushrooms.’’ 

Pretty good. But what does Mr. Williams 
want to see me about?” he inquired. 

Wants to give you ten dollars for saving 
his daughter’s life, perhaps.” 

Will straightened up. 

‘‘ I won’t go,” he said. 

The doctor grinned. 

Throwing away good money, eh? We’ll 
have to raise the price of toadstools again, to 
even up. But, seriously, I advise you to go to 
Mr. Williams, as he requests you to. He isn’t 
half a bad fellow. His only fault is that he 
makes more money than any one man is en- 
titled to.” 

You don’t really think he’ll — he’ll want 
to pay me anything, do you? ” 

No; he wants to thank you, as any gentle- 
man would, for a brave, manly action.” 

For the first time Will grew embarrassed, 
and his face became as red as a June sunset. 

‘‘I’d rather not, you know,” he said, unde- 
cidedly. 

“It’s the penalty of heroism,” remarked the 


84 


Annabel 


doctor, with assumed carelessness. Better 
go at once and have it over with.^’ 

‘‘ All right, said Will, with a sigh of resig- 
nation. 

< < I going back to town, and 1 11 walk with 
you. ’ ’ 

So Will stopped at the house and sent Egbert 
to mind the fire, and then he tramped away to 
the village beside the burly form of his friend. 

It was not as cold as it had been before it 
began to snow, and the boy enjoyed the walk. 
He liked to hear the soft crunching of the snow 
under his feet. 

When he shyly entered the office at the steel 
works his face was as rosy as an apple, and he 
shook off the snow and wiped the moisture from 
his eyes and looked around him. 

There were two long rows of desks in the 
main room, and at one corner, railed in to sep- 
arate it from the others, was the secretary’s 
office and desk. Will could see the bald head of 
Mr. J ordan held as rigidly upright as ever, and 
recognized the two side locks of hair that were 
plastered firmly to his skull. 

Then Mr. Jordan turned slowly around and 


Annabel 


85 


saw him, and after calmly staring at the hoy 
for a time he motioned to a clerk. 

The young man approached Will and in- 
quired his business. 

^ ‘ I want to see Mr. Williams, ’ ’ he answered. 

Mr. Jordan transacts all the business 
here,^’ said the clerk stiffly. 

It isn’t exactly business,” replied the hoy, 
and drew out the letter he had received. 

At once the clerk became more obsequious, 
and begged Will to be seated. He watched 
the man, whom he knew to be the son of a local 
storekeeper, go to a glass door and rap upon 
it gently. Then he entered and closed the door 
carefully behind him, only to emerge the next 
moment and beckon Will to advance. 

‘‘ Mr. Williams will see you at once, sir.” 

Will walked into the private office feeling 
queer and uncomfortable, and the clerk closed 
the door behind him. 

Mr. Williams was sitting at his desk, hut at 
once jumped up and met the boy with both 
hands extended in a cordial greeting. 

‘‘I’m glad to see you. Will Carden,” he 


S6 


Annabel 


said simply. My little girl is very dear to 
me, and I owe you more than I can ever repay. ’ ^ 

<< Why, Nan’s dear to me, too, Mr. Williams,” 
replied the youth, feeling quite at ease again. 

And I’m glad and grateful that I happened 
to be around just when she needed me. We’re 
in the same class at high school, you know, and 
Annabel and I have always been chums.” 

‘‘ That’s good,” said the great man, nodding 
as if he understood. ^ ^ I hope you will be better 
friends than ever, now. She wants to see^you, 
and Mrs. Williams has asked me to send you up 
to the house, if you will go.” 

Will flushed with pleasure. To be invited to 
the big house by the very woman who had 
snubbed him a few months ago was indeed a 
triumph. He didn’t suspect, of course, that 
Mr. Williams had kept his promise to the chil- 
dren, and talked to ” his wife with such en- 
ergy that she was not likely soon again to ban- 
ish one of their playmates because he chanced 
to be poor. Indeed, Mrs. Williams had no es- 
pecial dislike for the vegetable boy; ” she 
merely regarded him as a member of a class 
to be avoided, and her sole objection to him 


Annabel 


87 


as a companion to her children was based upon 
a snobbish and vulgar assumption of superi- 
ority to those not blessed with money. 

“ 1^11 be glad to see Annabel again/’ said 
Will. “ I hope she’s none the worse for her 
accident. ’ ’ 

‘‘ Just a slight cold, that’s all. But sit down, 
please. I want a little talk with you about — 
yourself. ’ ’ 

Will became uncomfortable again. But he 
sat dpwn, as the great man requested. 

“ Tell me something of your life; of your 
family and your work; and let me know what 
your ambitions are,” said Mr. Williams. 

It was a little hard for Will to get started, 
but the man led him on by asking a few simple 
questions and soon he was telling all about Flo 
and Egbert, and how hard his mother was 
obliged to work, and of the mushroom business 
the doctor had started and all the other little 
details of his life. 

Mr. Williams listened attentively, and when 
the boy mentioned the fact that Mr. Jordan 
had always boarded with them since his father 
had gone away, the millionaire seemed espe- 


88 


Annabel 


cially interested, asking various questions 
about his secretary’s habits and mode of life 
which plainly showed he was unfamiliar with 
Mr. Jordan’s private affairs. 

‘‘ Do you remember your father? ” he in- 
quired. 

“Not very well, sir,” Will replied. “You 
see, I was very young when he went away, and 
he was accustomed to working so steadily night 
and day at his steel factory that he wasn’t 
around the house very much. I’ve heard 
mother say he was so occupied with thoughts 
of his invention that he didn ’t pay a great deal 
of attention to us children, although his nature 
was kind and affectionate.” 

“ Was Mr. Jordan with him much in those 
old days? ” 

“ I can’t remember about that. But mother 
has always said that Mr. Jordan was father’s 
best friend, and for years he always came to 
our house on Sunday to dinner. He was a bank 
clerk, then ; and that was before he boarded with 
us, you know.” 

“ Is he kind to you now? ” 

“ Mr. Jordan? Why, he’s neither kind nor 


Annabel 


89 


unkind. But he pays his hoard regular, and in 
a way that^s kindness, although he doesn’t say 
a word to anyone. The boarder helps us to 
live, but it also wears out mother’s strength, 
for she’s very particular to cook the things he 
likes to eat, and to make him comfortable. I’m 
in hopes that the mushroom business will pros- 
per, for then we can let our boarder go, and it 
will be much easier for mother. ’ ’ 

“ I, too, hope you will succeed. But if you 
don’t. Will, or if you ever need help in any way, 
come straight to me. It would make me very 
happy to be of some use to you, you know.” 

Thank you,” said the boy. ‘‘ I’ll not for- 
get.” 

The great mill owner was not at all a hard 
person to talk to. He seemed to understand 
just as a boy would,” Will afterward told 
Mrs. Carden. And when he left the office it 
was with the pleasant sensation that he had 
made a new friend — one that could be relied 
upon almost as much as old Dr. Meigs. 

Mr. Jordan was staring at him fixedly as he 
walked out ; but he said nothing about the visit, 
either then or afterward when he met Will at 


90 


Annabel 


supper. But once in a while he would turn his 
queer spectacled eyes upon the boy, as if he had 
just discovered a new interest in him. 


CHAPTER VII 

AN AFTERNOON CALL 

Next afternoon Will put on his best clothes 
and walked up to the big house. 

On the way he was undecided whether to go 
to the front door or the back one. Never be- 
fore had he entered the place as a guest, and in 
the end he wisely compromised by advancing 
to the side entrance that he had observed was 
mostly used by the children. 

Annabel saw him from the window and beck- 
oned him in, her face all smiles of welcome, and 
that helped him to retain his composure. 

Come right in, sir,” said Fanny, the maid 
who admitted him. Miss AnnabePs not al- 
lowed to go to the door yet. ’ ’ 

“ Hello, Will,” said the girl, shyly slipping 
her hand in his. I^m awful glad you’ve come, 
for everybody has gone out and left me to- 
day.” 

“ Why, Nan, how white you look! ” he ex- 
91 


92 


Annabel 


claimed. That water in the pond must have 
been pretty cold for you.’’ 

No more than for you, Will,” she replied. 

But it wasn’t the cold, you know; ’twas the 
awful fear of dying — of being drowned and 
lost under the ice,” and she looked at him with 
big eyes into which a shade of fear crept at the 
very recollection of that dreadful moment. 

‘‘ There, there. Nan,” said he soothingly; 

let’s sit down and talk about something 
else,” and he led her to a sofa, still holding 
her small white hand in his brown one. 

The girl glanced at him gratefully. Will 
seemed to understand her even better than 
Mary Louise did ; and he had a gentle way with 
her that was at once pleasant and comforting. 

‘‘ Where did the folks go? ” he asked, with 
well assumed cheerfulness. 

Out coasting. The hill back of Thomp- 
son’s is just fine, now — as smooth as glass, 
Ted says. I’d like to be with them, for my 
sled’s the swiftest of them all, but,” with a 
sigh, ‘‘ Doctor Meigs says I must stay in the 
house for three days. Isn’t it dreadful. Will? ” 
Oh, I don’t know. Nan. He’s usually right 



^llello. Will,” said 


Annabel. 













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lV. 




Annabel 


93 


about these things ; and it seems mighty pleas- 
ant in here/’ glancing around at the cozy room 
with its glowing fire in the grate. 

‘‘It’s nice — now,” she answered, sweetly, 
and Will looked at her with sudden interest. 
He had never before noticed how bright and 
fair Annabel’s face was. The freckles didn’t 
seem to mar it a bit, and the nose turned up 
just enough to make her expression jolly and 
spirited. And as for the hair, the red was al- 
most pretty where the firelight fell upon it. 

Will had paid no attention until now to girls’ 
looks. A girl had seemed to be “ just a girl ” 
to him. And he, as well as her brothers and 
the other boys, had often teased Nan about her 
red hair and pug nose, without observing either 
of them very closely. But to-day he began to 
think all the fellows must have been blind, and 
that the girl ’s claim to beauty was greater than 
any of them had ever suspected. 

Somehow, too, Annabel’s accident and near 
approach to death seemed to have changed her. 
At any rate she was never the same to Will 
afterward. He couldn’t well have explained 
how she was different, but the large blue eyes 


94 


Annabel 


had a new look in them, she was less romping 
and boisterous in her ways and gentler in her 
speech. 

She sat quietly in her corner of the sofa, a 
demure and almost bashful look upon her pleas- 
ant face. But in her natural and simple way 
she entertained her boy friend so cleverly that 
he never suspected he was being entertained 
at all. 

“ Papa says you’ve been to see him, and that 
you two have become great friends,” she re- 
marked. 

‘ ‘ Mr. Williams was surely very nice to me, ’ ’ 
he answered, with enthusiasm. ‘‘I’m sure 
your father’s a good man, Annabel.” 

“ The best in the world. Will. We’re always 
happy when father’s home. But that isn’t very 
often, you know, he’s so busy.” 

There was a pause, after that, which neither 
noticed. 

“ Nora says you grow those lovely mush- 
rooms we’ve been having lately,” she said. 
“ Do you. Will? ” 

“ Yes; didn’t you know it? In the old barn. 


Annabel 


95 


Doctor Meigs and I are partners. Do you like 
mushrooms, Nan? 

‘‘ Very much; and so does papa.’^ 

‘‘ Idl bring you some to-morrow,’’ he prom- 
ised, greatly delighted to find something he 
could do for her. 

That will be fine,” she answered; be- 
cause, if you bring them, we can have a talk, 
you know. And it’s sort of dull, staying in the 
house all day. The others are out every minute 
of the time, for school begins again next Mon- 
day, and they want to have all the fun they can 
while vacation lasts.” 

That’s natural,” said Will. It’s too bad 
you have to stay in during vacation. Say, An- 
nabel, do you like to read Indian stories ? ’ ’ 

I don’t know; I’ve never read any.” 

<< IVe got a swell Indian book at home; one 
that the Doctor gave me on my birthday. It’s 
all about Dick Onslow among the red-skins, and 
I call it a corker! ” 

I’d like to read it,” said Annabel, smiling 
at his enthusiasm. 

Well, I’ll bring it over,” he agreed. 
Then when you’re alone, you can read it.” 


96 


Annabel 


Thank you,’’ said the girl, dreamily. 

Then came another pause. It didn’t seem 
to them necessary to talk all the time; but 
finally Annabel gave a little start and began 
speaking of the school and their mutual friends 
in the village so that the time passed swiftly 
away and it began to grow dark before either 
of them noticed it. 

But by and by Will chanced to remember 
that Egbert had been left to tend the fires 
alone, so he jumped up and said he must go. 
And Annabel made no attempt to keep him, but 
stood at the window and waved her hand in 
farewell as he passed down the walk. 

Mrs. Williams had another of her bad head- 
aches that day, so she did not join the family 
at the evening meal, a circumstance that filled 
the children with thoughtless delight. 

Mr. Williams was with them, however, for 
whenever he could be in Bingham he loved to 
have his family about him, and all the little 
folks were very fond of him indeed. 

“Will was here to-day,” said Annabel; 
whereat there was an uproar from the others 


Annabel 


97 


because they had missed their favorite play- 
mate. And Gladys added: 

I’se busted my top, so WilPs got to make 
it fixed. 

He^s coming again to-morrow,’’ Annabel 
announced, “ to bring me a book, and some 
mushrooms. Then he can fix the top, Gladys. ’ ’ 
Mary Louise looked at her sister curiously, 
and even Ted smiled at the wave of red that 
dyed Nan’s cheeks. 

Seems to me you’re getting pretty thick, 
just because he dragged you out of the pond,” 
cried Eeggie, mischievously. 

Will’s a fine fellow,” said Mr. Williams, 
gravely, ‘‘ and I hope he’ll come often! ” 

So does I! ” declared Gladys; and then the 
conversation shifted to another subject, greatly 
to Annabel’s relief. 

Mary Louise was nearer Will ’s age than An- 
nabel, being now fifteen and almost on the verge 
of young womanhood. And Annabel, although 
little more than a year her junior, had until 
now been considered merely a romping, care- 
less girl, although it was true she was scarcely 
behind her sister in the high school classes. Big 


98 


Annabel 


Will Carden, taller at sixteen than Mr. Will- 
iams himself, and strong and manly in build, 
seemed so much older and more matured than 
Annabel that it was really absurd for Reginald 
to couple their names, even in a joking way. 

Will came the next day, to find Annabel again 
alone; but presently little Gladys toddled in 
and brought her top to be mended, and when he 
had succeeded in making it spin, the little one 
nestled in his lap with a sigh of contentment. 

“ Will,’’ she asked, after a moment of ear- 
nest thought, ‘‘ is you Nan’s beau? ” 

Of course! ” he replied, laughing gayly. 
‘‘ And yours, too, Gladie! ” 

That made the wee one smile with satisfac- 
tion, and it pleased Annabel also, although she 
hastened rather awkwardly to talk of Dick On- 
slow and declare she would enjoy reading of 
his adventures. 

On Monday the holidays ended, and Mr. 
Williams regretfully returned to his office in 
the city, where most of his time was spent. 

Annabel was by this time fully recovered, 
and went to school with the others; but Will 
walked home with her that afternoon, and the 


Annabel 


99 


next afternoon also, and this was enough to 
start all the older scholars plaguing them, as 
young folks will do in case of boy and girl 
friendships, and calling them “ sweethearts.’’ 
Will came every morning across lots to meet 
her. 

Will merely laughed and replied good-na- 
turedly to the taunts, and Annabel tossed her 
tawny head half in pride and half in defiance 
and told the other girls they were jealous. So 
it was not long before their comrades tired of 
teasing them and they were left to do as they 
pleased. 

When spring came on and the weather grew 
warmer. Will Carden not only walked home 
from school with Annabel, but came every 
morning across lots to meet her at the corner 
of the street near the big house and accompany 
her to the school. Sometimes Mary Louise or 
Theodore joined them, but more often they 
were left to themselves, the boys growling that 
“ Will wasn’t half as much fun as he used to 
be,” and the girls wondering what he could 
see in that freckled-faced Nan Williams ” to 
interest him so greatly. 


100 


Annabel 


But tlie truth was that the two had grown 
very congenial, and liked to he together. An- 
nabel had learned all about Will’s life and am- 
bitions and understood him as no other com- 
panion had ever been able to do. He was sure 
of her sympathy whenever anything went 
wrong, and knew she would share his joy when 
he was ‘ ‘ in luck. ’ ’ 

It was Annabel who advised him to make 
a nest egg ” of the forty-three dollars which 
the doctor paid him in dividends the first of the 
year, and the girl planned shrewdly in many 
ways to encourage him and give him confidence 
in his future. In addition to this, she was more 
clever in her studies than Will, and often she 
was of great assistance to him in explaining 
the lessons when his slower mind failed to 
grasp the details. 

It is not easy to explain how so much real 
wisdom came to lurk in Annabel’s childish 
head; but people said she was more like her 
father than any of the other children. During 
the months that followed her rescue from the 
icy pond she grew more sedate in demeanor 
than before, and more considerate of her 


Annabel 


101 


brothers and sisters, so that they soon came to 
look upon her as their mentor, in a degree, and 
asked her advice about many of the little trials 
of their daily lives. 


CHAPTER VIII 


THE DAWN OF PKOSPEEITY 

In April Mrs. Williams, whose health had 
been poor during all the winter, failed so rap- 
idly that the doctor who came from the city to 
examine her declared she needed an European 
trip, with a residence abroad of at least a year, 
in Spain or Italy. 

This idea was eagerly seconded by the lady 
herself, so Mr. Williams at once arranged for 
her to go. She at first proposed to take Gladys 
with her, but her husband, guided by Dr. Meigs ’ 
advice, demurred at this, telling her frankly 
that the child would be better off at home. She 
wept a little, fearing she would be lonely; but 
Mr. Williams was firm, and at length she started 
away with an immense quantity of baggage, a 
qualified nurse to care for her ailments, and 
her own maid. Her husband traveled with 
her to New York, saw her safely aboard her 
steamer, and then returned to Bingham quite 
cheerfully, for the poor lady had improved in 
102 


Annabel 


103 


health and spirits since the day the trip was 
planned, and he had little doubt the residence 
abroad would tone up her nerves and restore 
her to a normal condition. 

But, now that his children were without a 
mother to direct them, Mr. Williams came to 
the conclusion that it was his duty to spend 
more of his time at home, so he arranged to 
be in Bingham the best part of every week, and 
hired a representative to attend to the city 
office. 

It was now that the father had, for the first 
time in years, full opportunity to study the dis- 
position and character of each member of his 
family. They were all dear to him, so it is 
probable that he discovered many admirable 
qualities in each of his children ; hut it did not 
take him many days to decide that Annabel, 
especially, was growing into a very sensible and 
reliable little woman. Mary Louise was sweet 
and winning as a June rose, and he was very 
proud indeed of his fair and dainty daughter; 
but it was Annabel alone who seemed to he in- 
terested in him personally, and who questioned 
him so intelligently in regard to his daily cares 


104 


Annabel 


and worries, that he soon came to confide in her 
many of the business details that no one else, 
save perhaps Mr. Jordan, was in any way 
aware of. 

This drew father and daughter closer to- 
gether, so that they soon became good com- 
rades and were very happy in one another's 
companionship. 

One day she said to him: Papa, I wish 

you ’d build another schoolhouse at the mill. 
The old one isn’t big enough for all the chil- 
dren of the workmen, and so they’re crowding 
us out of the village school. We have to hold 
some of the high school classes over Barnes’ 
store, even now.” 

<< Why, I’ll look into the matter,” he an- 
swered, rather surprised at a young girl taking 
an interest in such things. But on investiga- 
tion he found she was right, and that another 
schoolhouse was greatly needed in the “ new 
town,” where his cottages stood. Moreover, 
the school funds of the county and township 
were exhausted ; so one of the things Mr. Will- 
iams did that summer was to build a pretty 
new schoolhouse, which he named Annabel 


Annabel 


105 


School, ^ ^ providing from his own resources for 
the hiring of proper teachers. 

In the fall important changes occurred in the 
family at the big house. Mrs. Williams wrote 
that she was so much improved in health that 
she had decided to extend her residence abroad 
for some time longer; so the father, doubting 
his ability to properly direct the education of 
his growing daughters, decided to send Mary 
Louise and Annabel to a private academy in 
Washington for young ladies. This led to Theo- 
dore’s begging to be sent to a military school, 
and his father, after considering the matter, 
consented. So on the first of September the 
family practically was broken up, all three of 
the older children departing for their new 
schools, while only Eeginald and Gladys re- 
mained with their father at Bingham. And 
while these lively youngsters did not permit 
life at the big house to become very monoto- 
nous, Mr. Williams greatly missed the older 
ones from the family circle. But others missed 
them, too, and among these was Will Carden, 
who suddenly found a great blank in his daily 
existence, caused by the absence of his old 


106 


Annabel 


schoolfellows. Doubtless be missed tbe com- 
panionsbip of Annabel most of all, for sbe bad 
been bis confidant and most intimate friend. 

On tbe very day of tbeir departure Mary 
Louise and Annabel drove up in tbeir little 
pony cart to say good-bye to Will, and now al- 
most every week a little letter would come 
from Nan telling bim of ber school life and ask- 
ing him about the happenings in Bingham, and 
especially bow tbe mushroom business pro- 
gressed. 

This business industry of Will’s prospered 
finely. In July Dr. Meigs gave bim three hun- 
dred dollars as bis share of tbe profits for six 
months, and tbe vegetable garden bad also 
brought in an unusual amount of money; so, for 
the first time since tbe father of the family 
bad been lost at sea, tbe Cardens found them- 
selves in possession of a nice bank account, and 
were relieved of the little worries that always 
follow in tbe wake of poverty. 

It was fall, however, before Will and bis 
mother finally decided to tell Mr. Jordan that 
they would not keep a boarder any longer. He 
bad been with them so long, and bis assist- 


Annabel 


107 


ance had been so greatly appreciated in the 
past, that Mrs. Carden felt a natural hesita- 
tion in asking him to leave. So Will took the 
matter into his own hands, and one evening, 
when Mr. Jordan returned from his walk, the 
boy stopped him in the little hallway and asked 
him to step into the sitting room for a moment. 
“ Perhaps you’ve noticed,” began Will, 
that mother has been getting more pale and 
thin during the last two or three years. Doctor 
Meigs thinks it’s because she works too hard 
around the house; and so do I. So we’ve de- 
cided not to keep a boarder any longer, but to 
let mother take it easy, and rest up. ’ ’ 

Mr. Jordan’s spectacled eyes had been fixed 
calmly upon the young man’s face from the mo- 
ment he began to speak. Now he gave a 
scarcely perceptible start, as if astonished at 
what he heard, and Will was quick to note it. 

<< We’re very grateful, you know,” he has- 
tened to add, for all your kindness in the 
days when we needed help. But my business 
is prospering pretty well, just now, and I’m 
laying by a little money; so we think it’s best 
to relieve mother of all the work we can.” 


108 


Annabel 


The man still stared at him, reading coolly 
and deliberately every line of the boy^s expres- 
sion. 

‘‘I’d like to thank you, also, for all your kind- 
ness to my father, in the old days,” continued 
Will, after a considerable pause. “ Doctor 
Meigs has told me how good you were to him, 
and how you loaned him money. And you’ve 
been a good friend to us ever since.” 

Still there was no reply. The man neither 
acknowledged nor denied that he was entitled 
to such thanks. He stood upright, facing Will 
as calmly as ever; yet for a brief moment his 
body swayed from side to side, and then, as if 
overcome by a powerful effort, it stiffened 
again and was still. 

The boy had nothing more to add to his dis- 
missal of the boarder, and expected that Mr. 
Jordan would either reply or go to his room. 
But for a time he did neither, and the silence 
and suspense were growing unbearable when 
at last the man spoke. 

“ I will retain my room,” said he, “ and 
take my meals in the town. You do not need 


Annabel 


109 


the room I occupy, and this plan will cause 
Mrs. Carden very little work.^’ 

Will was puzzled. Why a man of Mr. Jor- 
dan's means should care to remain in such a 
poor home was a mystery. He could get much 
better accommodations at the village hotel for 
about the same sum he paid Mrs. Carden, and 
he would be more independent there. But 
while he canvassed the matter in his mind Mr. 
Jordan suddenly moved away and with slow 
steps mounted the stairs to his room, thus ter- 
minating the interview. 

When the boy reported to his mother the re- 
sult of this conference, she said; 

‘ ‘ He is so reserved in his nature that I think 
Mr. Jordan shrinks from any public place 
where he might come in contact with strangers. 
That is perhaps the reason he does not wish to 
give up his room. He is accustomed to it, and 
the man is a slave to habit. Well, let him keep 
it. Will, if he wishes to ; for so long as he takes 
his meals elsewhere it will not, as he says, cause 
me much inconvenience. Did he say how much 
he was willing to pay for the use of the room? 

‘‘ No,’’ replied Will, who was really disap- 


110 


Annabel 


pointed, for he had hoped to do away entirely 
with the restraint imposed upon the family 
circle by the man’s presence. 

Mr. Jordan now began to get his meals in 
town ; but after supper he would take the same 
long walk he had always done, ending it at the 
door of the Carden cottage, when he retired to 
his room for the night. The question of room- 
rent he settled by handing Mrs. Carden two 
dollars and a half every Saturday; not a very 
munificent sum, but perhaps, after all, as much 
as such accommodation was worth. 

And so the family accepted the man’s pres- 
ence with hopeless resignation. 

‘‘ As a matter of fact,” said Will to the doc- 
tor, we can’t get rid of him.” 


CHAPTEE IX 


MYSTEKIES AND SUSPICIONS 

Will had by this time mastered the secret of 
mushroom growing so thoroughly that both 
partners felt justified in expecting a regular 
net profit of a thousand dollars a year from it, 
which meant an income of five hundred dollars 
each. 

‘‘ It relieves my mind wonderfully,” re- 
marked the doctor; ‘‘ for now I’m quite sure 
my poor grandchildren will not go hungry. 
But, Will, the earning will never be any bigger. 
That’s the extent of the possibilities in mush- 
room growing. Are you satisfied with the 
prospect? ” 

Certainly I am. Doctor. It’s just that 
much more than I ever expected to earn, at my 
age ; and the beauty of it is, I can go to school 
at the same time.” 

“ But when you’ve finished your school days, 
what then? ” 

“ Why, I haven’t thought much about that^’^ 
111 


112 


Annabel 


confessed Will. But 111 have a nice little 
nest egg by that time, and can go into business 
that will pay better. And Egbert can continue 
to raise the mushrooms, because it’s one of the 
few things the poor fellow is fitted for.” 

Very good,” said the doctor. 

What business would you advise me to get 
into. Doctor? ” 

Let’s wait awhile, and see what happens. 
Keep busy, my boy; make every day of your 
life count, and the future will be sure to take 
care of itself.” 

That afternoon the good doctor met Mr. 
Williams, who stopped to converse with him. 

Do you remember our conversation in re- 
gard to Jordan’s relations with John Carden, 
which we had about a year ago? ” he asked. 

Yes,” was the prompt answer. 

“ Well, the man’s getting very hard to han- 
dle, and I’m afraid I shall have trouble with 
him. I wish I knew more about his dealings 
with Carden, and was sure about his right to 
control this process.” 

“ What’s the trouble? ” inquired the doctor. 

Why, when I made my arrangement with 


Annabel 


113 


Jordan, some ten years ago, lie agreed to place 
a detailed description of the secret process in 
my keeping, as an evidence of good faith and 
to protect me if anything happened to him. 
One of his conditions was that he should have 
the sole right to furnish me with a certain 
chemical that is required to be mixed with the 
molten iron in the furnaces, and which gives to 
our steel that remarkable resiliency, or elas- 
ticity, which is among its strongest features. 
The contract allowed Jordan to supply this 
chemical at regular market prices, and he has 
always furnished it promptly, ordering it 
shipped directly to him in unmarked packages 
from a manufacturing chemist in the east. One 
day last week we ran short of this material for 
the first time, and without saying anything to 
Jordan I went to our local drug store and ob- 
tained enough of the chemical the process calls 
for to complete the batch of steel we had in 
preparation. Well, the stuff didn’t work, and 
the whole lot was ruined. Also the foreman 
declared the chemical I obtained was wholly 
unlike the chemical Mr. Jordan had always 
supplied, and that made me suspicious that 


114 


Annabel 


something was wi’ong. When Jordan deliv- 
ered the new lot I took a sample of it to the 
city, and had it examined by competent chem- 
ists. It wasn’t the stuff the written formula 
calls for, at all, so it is evident that Jordan 
had deceived me in this one important ingre- 
dient, which he called by a false name, and has 
given me a worthless document. It’s a crimi- 
nal act, and leaves me at the man’s mercy. 
So long as I use the stuff he supplies me with, 
I turn out the finest steel in all the world; but 
without Jordan I couldn’t manufacture a pound 
of it, for he alone knows the secret.” 

‘‘ This seems to be quite serious,” said the 
doctor, gravely. If Mr. Jordan is capable 
of sharp practice in one way, he may be in 
another. ’ ’ 

That’s it. That is why I suspect the story 
about his loaning J ohn Carden money, and get- 
ting the secret of the process in payment of 
the debt.” 

The doctor wrinkled his shaggy brows into 
a deep frown. 

‘‘It’s all a mystery,” he said. “ I knew 
John Carden from his boyhood days up, and a 


Annabel 


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more level-headed fellow never lived. He had 
plenty of money when first he began to figure 
on a new way to make steel, for the Cardens 
had been well-to-do for three generations. But 
while I knew the man well, I was never so close 
to him or so intimate with him as Jordan was. 
The bank clerk used to sit night after night in 
the steel factory watching Carden with his ex- 
periments, and I believe it was that interest in 
his work that won Carden’s heart.” 

Quite likely,” said Mr. Williams, nodding. 

“ There is no doubt that John Carden spent 
a tremendous lot of money on those experi- 
ments,” continued the doctor; “ and he told 
me himself, before he went away, that while he 
had finally perfected a process that was worth 
millions, he had spent every cent he possessed 
in doing it. Yet he made no mention of Mr. 
Jordan’s having loaned him money, and it was 
only after Mr. Carden’s death that I learned 
from the man’s own lips that he had been 
obliged to take over the right to the process to 
cancel the debt.” 

I don’t believe a word of it,” declared the 
manufacturer, positively. But, tell me, why 


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did Mr. Carden go away just as he had per- 
fected his invention? 

‘ ‘ Because he could find no one in America to 
invest in the business. The steel men were 
suspicious of the new invention, and refused 
to believe in it. So Carden started for Eng- 
land, with the idea of inducing some Birming- 
ham capitalist to establish mills to turn out his 
product. Carden himself explained this to me, 
and asked me to keep an eye on his family dur- 
ing his absence.” 

And he never reached England? ” 

‘‘ Never. He was booked on one of the reg- 
ular steamships, but changed his mind at the 
last moment, for some reason, and shipped on 
a sailing vessel, which was wrecked in a heavy 
storm and all aboard lost. ’ ’ 

^ ‘ Did you know of this at the time ? ’ ’ 

Of what? ” 

‘‘ That Carden had gone on a sailing ship, 
instead of a regular line? ” 

No. Now that you call my attention to it, 
I remember that the first news we had of his 
being on the vessel was when we learned that 
the ship was lost. Then Mr. Jordan, who was 


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terribly distressed, to do him justice, showed 
us a letter Carden had written him on the eve 
of sailing, thus proving him to have been 
aboard the fated ship.’^ 

That is strange,’’ mused Mr. Williams. 

But it must be true after all, or John Carden 
would have been heard of many years ago.” 
That is evident,” returned the doctor. 

He was too big a man to be suppressed for 
long, and he was so fond of his wife and chil- 
dren that he would be sure to take the first op- 
portunity to communicate with them.” 

‘‘ You’re sure no letter ever came? ” 

I am positive.” 

‘‘ Who gets the Carden mail? ” 

‘‘ Why, I believe Mr. Jordan always calls 
for it at the post office, if there happens to be 
any, and takes it to the house when he goes to 
supper. ’ ^ 

Humph!” exclaimed Mr. Williams, and 
then the two men looked into one another’s 
- eyes with a gaze that was startled and not with- 
out a gleam of horror. 

We’ll talk this over again, sir,” said the 
doctor, abruptly. “Just now you’ve given me 


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a great deal to think about, and I need time to 
consider it properly.^’ 

I understand,’’ said the manufacturer, and 
with a handshake the two separated. 

As the Christmas vacation drew near. Will 
Carden became eagerly impatient to welcome 
his absent comrades home again. It had been 
lonely in the school room without Theodore 
and Mary Louise and Annabel; but now they 
were all coming home for a two weeks’ holiday, 
and the young fellow was looking forward to 
these days with glowing anticipations. 

He had intended meeting his friends at the 
train, but the girls arrived earlier than they 
had been expected, so that Will was busily 
working in the yard when he chanced to look 
up and see a pony cart being driven at reckless 
speed down the road. It was a pleasant winter 
day, for a clear sun shone overhead and there 
had been no snowfall as yet, so the pony’s hoofs 
pattered merrily over the hard road and soon 
brought his driver within hailing distance. 

Of course Will ran eagerly to meet his vis- 
itor, and there in the cart sat a young lady so 
sedate and dignified that the sight almost took 


Annabel 


119 


his breath away. Four months had done much 
to change Annabel. She was dressed more be- 
comingly than of old, and her skirts were 
longer. The freckles seemed to have entirely 
disappeared, leaving her face fair as a lily, ex- 
cept for the bloom lent the round cheeks by the 
brisk drive in the wind. Also, she seemed to 
Will’s critical eyes to be slighter and taller 
than before, and her red hair, instead of falling 
in two braids over her shoulder, was now made 
into a neat knot at the back of her head. 

These sudden blossomings of young girls 
are often subjects of wonder, and we cannot 
blame Will that he was amazed. But, never- 
theless, here was Annabel again, and the boy 
smiled a welcome that gained a ready response, 
for the young lady sprang from the cart and 
clasped both his brown hands in an eager way 
that proved she was glad to see him. After 
all, when he looked into her eyes he could see 
the same Nan of old, and outward appearance 
didn’t count for much. 

I’ve come here first of all,” she said, be- 
cause I couldn’t wait a minute. How big you’ve 
grown. Will! ” 


120 


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<< Why, I didn’t know it,” he replied. But 
you. Nan — why, you’re a regular swell! ” 

‘‘Fudge!” cried Nan, disdainfully; “you 
won’t catch me getting swell — or swelled — 
I can tell you. But they call us ‘ young ladies ’ 
at school, and we get to be perfect sticks. Oh, 
but it’s good to be back in Bingham, where 
everything’s sweet and simple, and you can do 
as you please! ” 

“It’s good to have you back. Nan,” he said. 

“Why, there’s Flo!” she exclaimed. 
“ Come here, dear, and kiss me this minute.” 

Flo, who had just come from the house, ran 
at once into Annabel’s arms, and Will stood 
by and grinned with great delight, although 
something about the girl filled him with a 
strange embarrassment. 

“ Now, sir,” said Annabel, “I’m ordered 
to bring you back home with me, and you’re to 
stay to dinner and spend the evening.” 

“I’m not dressed, nor ready,” protested 
Will. 

“ Then get ready at once; and while you’re 
about it I’ll drive Flo over to the grove. Jump 
in, dear.” 


Annabel 


121 


Flo readily complied with this request, for 
it was a great treat to ride in the pony cart; 
so in a moment they were whirling up the lane 
as fast as the fat little pony could prance, and 
Will, pleased indeed to he invited to the big 
house, went in to dress himself carefully for 
the occasion. 

By the time he was ready, and had kissed 
his mother good-bye, the cart was back again; 
so he took Flo’s place beside Annabel and was 
driven slowly away. 

They had a good many things to talk over, 
it seemed; all about Annabel’s new boarding 
school and Will’s old high school; and about 
their mutual friends in the village, and the new 
book Annabel had sent Will to read, and about 
the mushroom business, in which the girl was 
keenly interested, and a good many other sub- 
jects. 

So the pony had time to get new breath into 
its pudgy body, while the cart moved leisurely 
up this road and down that lane until at last 
they turned into the grounds of the big house. 

Will was warmly greeted by Theodore and 
Mary Louise, as well as the younger children. 


122 


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and he first admired Ted’s gray uniform, all 
covered with brass buttons, and then turned to 
gaze shyly at the slim, beautiful girl whom he 
hesitated, because she was “ such a young 
lady,” to address familiarly as Mary Louise. 

Mr. Williams, too, was present, happy to 
have his children all beside him once more, and 
the great steel manufacturer was so jolly a 
companion, and entered so heartily into the 
amusements of the young folks, that not one of 
them felt any restraint in his presence, but 
grieved when he left them. 

The big dinner which Nora had prepared for 
this occasion was one of the merriest functions 
the establishment had ever known, and Fanny, 
the waitress, and Thomas, the butler, after- 
wards compared notes and figured that the 
party had remained nearly two hours at the 
table — which was surely long enough to sat- 
isfy the most vigorous appetite. But only 
those just home from boarding-school know 
what it is to sit down to a good home dinner; 
and there was so much to talk about that they 
could not be eating every minute, either. 

Following this evening, which Will long re- 


Annabel 


123 


membered, came two weeks of constant excite- 
ment, during which coasting and sleighing par- 
ties, dances in the evenings and an old-fash- 
ioned hay-ride ^Ho a neighboring town, kept 
the young folks of Bingham busy as bees. Will 
couldn ^t be present at all these gayeties, because 
the fires had to be kept going in the heater, and 
he insisted that Egbert should have a share in 
the season ^s fun. But Egbert was little in- 
clined to social pleasures, from many of which 
his infirmities naturally barred him, so that 
Will participated in a good many of the amuse- 
ments provided for the holidays. 

There was no accident to mar this Christ- 
mas season, as there had been a year before, 
and the end of the vacation days brought re- 
gret to all. But it is true that pleasures are 
the more enjoyed when they are followed by 
periods of earnest work, and the two girls and 
Theodore returned to their schools with rosier 
cheeks and brighter eyes than they had brought 
home with them, while lurking in their hearts 
were many pleasant memories that could be 
called upon, during the months that followed, 
to lighten the tedium of study. 


124 


Annabel 


During a long walk wkicli Annabel and Will 
took just before their parting, they agreed to 
exchange letters at least once a week, and after- 
ward the contract was faithfully kept. Will 
wrote at length of all the gossip of the little 
village, and Nan related her experiences at 
school; so the letters were always bright and 
interesting to the recipients, although others 
might not have fully understood them. 


CHAPTER X 


BAITING THE TKAP 

One day in the early spring Mr. Williams 
sent an invitation to Dr. Meigs to dine with 
him, and after the meal they sat together in the 
study conversing; for the two men had become 
fast friends, and seemed to understand one 
another excellently. 

‘ ‘ A curious thing has happened lately, ^ ’ said 
the host, flicking the ash from his cigar with a 
thoughtful air, “ and one of my objects in ask- 
ing you over this evening is to tell you of it, 
and ask your advice.’^ 

The doctor nodded and settled himself in his 
chair to listen. 

‘‘It is now some ten years ago that my at- 
tention was attracted by a sample of steel of 
such remarkable quality that I at once became 
interested, and after a time I managed to trace 
it to Bingham, where it had been made by J ohn 
Carden, in his old factory. But the maker had 
gone from the town, and was reported dead, 

125 


126 


Annabel 


and on being referred to Mr. Jordan, at the 
bank, I learned that the process for making 
this wonderful product was now owned by him. 
I made Ezra Jordan a proposition for the ex- 
clusive use of the process, on a royalty basis, 
and having come to terms I proceeded to build 
these mills, and the houses for my workmen, 
and afterwards moved here with my family. 
All of this you already know. I confess that 
I have made a great deal of money since then, 
for certain manufacturers and machinists can- 
not do without my steel, which no other maker 
has been able to duplicate. I might mention, 
incidentally, that Jordan has also made a for- 
tune out of his royalties. 

A while ago I confided to you my discov- 
ery that Jordan had deceived me in regard to 
the formula; but I didn’t worry much about 
that, because I knew that as long as I made 
money for him he would cause me no trouble. 
Now, however, a more startling evidence of 
the man’s treachery has come to my knowl- 
edge. The Italian government requires a large 
amount of high-class steel for use in their 
naval armament, and I submitted samples of 


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127 


my product with the certainty that I would se- 
cure the order, which will amount to millions 
of dollars. Imagine, therefore, my chagrin at 
being informed that another sample of steel, 
even finer than mine, and with the same pe- 
culiar characteristics that can be produced in 
no other way than by the Carden process, has 
been submitted to them by an English firm, and 
at a lower price than I demanded. What do 
you think of that, Doctor Meigs T’ 

‘‘ I cannot account for it,’’ was the reply, 
unless some one in England has stumbled 
upon the same process.” 

“ That is, of course, possible, but not at all 
probable. I am more inclined to think that Mr. 
Jordan has made another deal, this time with 
the English firm, and is drawing royalties from 
them as well as from me.” 

‘‘ I see. You accuse the man of competing 
against himself.” 

In this case, yes. But whichever gets the 
contract will pay him his royalties, so he is 
safe. Otherwise he would not figure on our 
competing, for I sell no steel abroad, and our 


128 


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duties prevent the English makers from send- 
ing it here.’’ 

Do you know the name of the English 
firm? ” asked the doctor. 

Yes; the Italian commissioner was frank 
enough in stating it. My rival is the Atlas 
Steel Company, of Birmingham.” 

<< Why don’t you interview Jordan, and have 
it out with him? ” 

My idea exactly. That is just what I want 
to do. But that will be an important inter- 
view, my dear Doctor, and I want you to be 
present. ’ ’ 

Me? ” said the doctor, surprised. 

Yes. I’ve got a notion in my head that 
Jordan has defrauded the Cardens, as well as 
me, and you must stand as the friend of the 
Cardens, in case we get the man to admit any- 
thing. It can’t be possible, sir, that Jordan 
ever loaned John Carden money, for in those 
days he was poor. In that case why should we 
suppose that Carden, who was shrewd enough 
to become a successful inventor, would turn 
over all rights to his process to another man, 
leaving his family in utter poverty? ” 


Annabel 


129 


It doesn^t seem reasonable,’^ agreed the 
doctor. 

Let us take Jordan unawares, and accuse 
him of his villainy. Perhaps we may induce 
him to confess all, and then your presence as 
a witness would be valuable both to me and to 
the Carden family.” 

‘‘ Very well; when do you want me? ” 

“ Call at the office at three, to-morrow after- 
noon. I’ll have Jordan in, and we’ll see how 
much can be scared out of him. ’ ’ 

So the matter was arranged, although Dr. 
Meigs had his doubts about their success. 
Chester D. Williams was evidently a man who 
liked to face a difficulty without fear and bore 
his way to the bottom of it. And it really 
seemed that he had ample foundation for his 
suspicions of Mr. Jordan. But when the doc- 
tor thought it all over, and looked back upon 
Mr. Jordan’s regular and modest life, and re- 
membered how admirable his conduct had ever 
been in the eyes of all who knew him, he hesi- 
tated to believe the man guilty of such bold and 
audacious villainy as was suggested by Mr. 
Williams’ recent discoveries. 


130 


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Doubtless the man was by nature cold, and 
he might be heartless. It was within the 
bounds of possibility that he had robbed John 
Carden’s family of all those immense royalties 
earned by the process. But to sell the same 
process to an English corporation was alto- 
gether too hazardous a scheme for any man to 
undertake : unless, indeed, his past success had 
made him reckless. 

In any event, the doctor doubted that suffi- 
cient proof could be advanced to convict Mr. 
Jordan. The inventor was dead, and no one 
else could prove that Jordan had no right to 
the process. And without proof the case was 
hopeless. 

Yet promptly at three o’clock Dr. Meigs 
called at the steel works and was admitted to 
Mr. Williams’ private office. 

The proprietor was engaged at his desk 
when his friend entered, and after a nod in the 
doctor’s direction and a request that he be 
seated, he swung around and touched an elec- 
tric button. 

Please ask Mr. Jordan to step here,” he 
said to the boy who answered the bell. 


Annabel 


131 


Such promptness fairly startled the doctor, 
hut in a moment he collected himself for the 
coming interview, acknowledging to himself 
that Mr. Williams was right. If a disagreeable 
duty was to be performed, the sooner it was 
over with, the better. 

Mr. Jordan entered with his usual stiff and 
solemn air, and gave the doctor a brief nod of 
recognition. Then he paused before Mr. Will- 
iams’ desk in a way that indicated rather than 
expressed an inquiry as to why he had been 
summoned. 

The mill owner laid down his pen and looked 
his secretary square in the face. 

Mr. Jordan,” said he, we have lost that 
order of the Italian government.” 

<< Why? ” asked the other, a shade of disap- 
pointment in his harsh voice. 

Because the Atlas Steel Company of Bir- 
mingham, England, has offered the same steel 
as mine at a lower price.” 

Impossible! ” cried the man, startled for 
once out of his usual apathy. 

No, it is true,” replied Mr. Williams, 
calmly. The Atlas works is using the Car- 


132 


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den process, and turning out a product even 
better than we are at Bingham.’’ 

Mr. Jordan’s face was pale and haggard. 
He looked around with a hunted air, and then, 
seeing that both men were regarding him 
keenly, he controlled himself with an effort and 
wiped his brow with his handkerchief. 

‘ ^ How could they know of my — of the Car- 
den process? ” he asked, hoarsely. 

‘ ‘ The answer is very simple, ’ ’ said Mr. Will- 
iams, with admirable composure; “you sold 
the secret, in order to obtain a royalty from 
them, as well as from me.” 


CHAPTER XI 


ON THE WKONG TEAIL 

For a moment Mr. Jordan made no reply. 
But lie stared at his employer with eyes so full 
of horror that his sincerity was very evident. 

‘ ‘ I sell the secret to others ! ’ ’ he exclaimed, 
at last. ‘‘ Why, it would ruin me. Do you ac- 
cuse me of being a fool, sir, as well as a scoun- 
drel? ’’ 

All scoundrels are fools,” returned Mr. 
Williams, dryly. ‘‘ But, if you have not sold 
the secret to the Englishmen, please explain to 
me where and how they got it.” 

Again the hunted, fearful look crossed the 
man’s face, and again he made an evident 
struggle to appear calm. 

I cannot explain it, sir. But it need not 
affect our business to any serious extent. 
There is enough demand for our steel in Amer- 
ica to keep our furnaces busy, without going 
abroad for orders.” 

He spoke mechanically, as if the problem was 

133 


134 


Annabel 


not new to him and he had often considered 
the matter in much the same way as he now 
clearly expressed it. Yet the set, expression- 
less tones were habitual to him, as they are to 
all who are unaccustomed to speak at any 
length. 

‘‘ That is not the point,” said Mr. Williams, 
sternly. ‘‘ We are confronted, for the first 
time, with competition, and by a firm active 
enough to oppose us in foreign markets. What 
will be the end of it? What will happen when 
they attempt to compete with us in our home 
markets? ” 

‘‘ They must pay duty, and we can always 
meet their price,” said Mr. Jordan, his voice 
sounding a bit defiant. 

ic royalties I am obliged to pay you on 
my product, more than offset the duties,” re- 
torted the manufacturer. Indeed, your de- 
mands force me to exact so high a price that 
our customers are already complaining. The 
secret is a secret no longer, it seems. Then 
why should I continue to pay you royalties? ” 
If you choose to discontinue our arrange- 
ment, sir, I can dispose of the process to oth- 


Annabel 


135 


ers. The firm of Thomson Brothers & Hayden 
stands ready — 

Bah! exclaimed Mr. Williams, slamming 
the desk with his fist in momentary scorn. 
‘‘You know very well I cannot abandon my 
present product. It would render this expen- 
sive plant of no further value. 

Mr. Jordan bowed, with deference. 

“ I am willing to fulfill our contract in the 
future, as in the past, on the exact terms it 
stipulates. I have no doubt the mills will con- 
tinue to prosper. Anything more, sir!’^ 

He half turned, as if to go. 

“ Yes,’’ snapped the proprietor, who began 
to realize he had accomplished nothing by this 
interview. 

Mr. Jordan waited, and for a time his em- 
ployer remained silent, staring curiously at the 
impenetrable face of his secretary. Then he 
asked : 

“ How did you come to own this process, 
anyway? Why does it not belong to the heirs 
of the man who discovered it? ” 

Mr. Jordan poised his gaunt form more 


136 


Annabel 


erectly than ever, and his glittering spectacles 
were directed full upon the other’s face. 

I believe I have already explained that. 
John Carden transferred to me his right to the 
discovery in consideration of money which he 
owed me and could not pay.” 

You loaned him money? ” 

‘‘ Yes.” 

Where did you get it? ” 

Sir, that is not your affair.” 

‘‘You never earned a dollar more than a 
hare living until I began to pay you royalties 
on the process. On the other hand, I have evi- 
dence that Carden loaned you money. ’ ’ 

The man shrank back. 

“You are becoming offensive, Mr. Williams, 
in your remarks, and I beg to remind you we 
are not alone,” he said, not without dignity. 

“ I am interested in this matter myself, sir,” 
said Dr. Meigs, now speaking for the first time. 
“ You know that I am a friend of the Carden 
family, even as I have always been your friend, 
Mr. Jordan. Therefore it would please me to 
be able to disentangle this mystery and have 
all doubts removed from my mind. You have 


Annabel 


137 


told me, as you have told Mr. Williams, that 
John Carden owed you ten thousand dollars 
when he went away. Naturally we are curious 
to know how so great a sum came into the pos- 
session of a poor bank clerk, such as you then 
were. And also I have wondered what John 
Carden ever did with that money.” 

Again the secretary wiped his brow, but, ig- 
noring for the present Mr. Williams, he turned 
toward the doctor to reply. 

You have no right to ask me such ques- 
tions, Doctor Meigs; but it may be that from 
your standpoint there is some justice in your 
suspicions. I am, therefore, quite willing to 
answer you. John Carden spent all his own 
money, and afterward mine, in expensive ex- 
periments. The money I obtained by a lucky 
speculation in a lottery, the ticket for which I 
bought under an assumed name, as I did many 
other tickets, when I was a poor clerk and had 
no hopes of otherwise acquiring wealth. It is 
very natural I should hesitate to declare my- 
self a gambler, by explaining this openly; but 
never since that time have I invested one cent 
in speculation of any sort. And now, as I have 


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duties to attend to, I will bid you good after- 
noon, believing that you will respect my confi- 
dence. ’ ^ 

As he concluded, the secretary, who never 
within the knowledge of man had uttered so 
lengthy a speech before, bowed gravely and 
stalked from the room, holding himself as rig- 
idly upright as an Egyptian obelisk. 

When he was gone the two friends exchanged 
glances. 

Well? ’’ said Mr. Williams, interroga- 
tively. 

‘‘ I admit that I am puzzled,’’ answered the 
doctor. ‘‘It is quite possible for Mr. Jordan 
to have won ten thousand dollars on a lottery 
ticket. ’ ’ 

“ Yes; that was clever. There’s no contro- 
verting it.” 

“ But I do not think he sold the secret of 
your process to the Englishmen.” 

“ Nor do I. The man’s looks convinced me 
I was mistaken. But they also convinced me 
he has a secret he is desperately trying to hide. 
Y/e’re on a false scent, that’s all.” 

“I’m inclined to agree with you.” 


Annabel 


139 


And what can explain the fact that the 
Atlas company of Birmingham is using the 
Carden process? 

Are you sure it’s the same process? ” 

‘ ‘ Humph ! Do you know anything about the 
way steel is made? ” 

‘‘ No.” 

It is a very delicate process to extract the 
impurities from iron and to transform that 
metal into a steel that will stand severe ten- 
sion and become of so fine a temper that it will 
cut diamonds. Our product also had marvel- 
ous resiliency, and can be forged without los- 
ing any of its qualities. All this is accom- 
plished by manipulations that are the result of 
accurate scientific calculations. No one could 
stumble upon such a process as Carden evolved 
by years of intelligent effort, and by no other 
process than Carden’s could such steel ever be 
manufactured.” 

Well, what will you do now? ” 

I don’t know. What I’d like to do is to 
go to Birmingham at once and see if I can 
solve the mystery.” 

<< Why don’t you? ” asked the doctor. 


140 


Annabel 


‘‘I’m afraid to leave Jordan, to tell tlie 
truth. If he should attempt to run away I must 
he here to stop him. His suspicions will be 
aroused by this interview, and should he es- 
cape he would take the secret with him, and I 
would be forced to close the works. Can’t you 
go. Doctor? ” 

“ No, indeed. I can’t leave my patients. 
There are some who need me every day of their 
lives — or think they do, which is the same 
thing. A physician isn’t his own master, you 
know, and moreover this isn’t a physician’s 
business. Send a confidential agent.” 

“ I will. Whom do you suggest?” 

“ Will Carden.” 

Mr. Williams smiled into the doctor’s ear- 
nest face. 

“ If I sent Will to Europe, Jordan would at 
once become suspicious,” said he. 

“ No one need know he has gone to Europe. 
We’ll keep it quiet, and as he is known to be 
my partner in the mushroom business I can 
send him away on our private affairs, and Mr. 
Jordan will have no cause to be suspicious.” 

“ I will think over the suggestion before de- 


Annabel 


141 


ciding. But I^m glad you mentioned Will. 
He’s a fine, intelligent young fellow, and the 
trip would do him a lot of good.” 

Indeed it would. Good afternoon, Mr. 
Williams.” 

I am grateful to you for giving me this 
hour,” said the manufacturer, rising to shake 
his friend’s hand, ‘‘ for although we have not 
accomplished much it has relieved me of some 
of my suspicions of Mr. Jordan. I am still 
positive he deceived me about the formula, and 
there is no doubt he is a cold-blooded miser 
who would stick at nothing to make money. 
Also, he has a secret. But, after all, few men 
are thoroughly understood, and in the end 
Jordan may prove to be less of a scoundrel 
than we have considered him.” 

With this the interview terminated, and Doc- 
tor Meigs went away to call upon his patients. 
But for a time there was an unusually thought- 
ful expression upon his kindly face. 


CHAPTER XII 


THE SPECIAL MESSENGEE ” 

Will Carden was quite surprised to receive 
another invitation to confer with Mr. Williams. 
This time, however, he was asked to call at the 
Williams house in the evening ‘‘ on a matter of 
great importance,’’ and while this was less for- 
mal than the previous appointment it was also 
more mysterious. Wondering greatly why 
he was summoned, the boy dressed himself 
with care, kissed his mother good night, and 
walked down the road toward the village, filled 
with impatient eagerness. 

Will’s fortunes were quite prosperous at this 
juncture ; or, as he reflected in his boyish 
fashion : ‘ ‘ Things seem to be coming my 

way.” But he was too wise to attribute it to 
luck,” knowing full well how much he owed 
to the kindness of good Doctor Meigs, backed 
by his own sturdy labor and a strict attention 
to the details of his business. 

‘‘These ‘lucky’ fellows,” the doctor had 

142 


Annabel 


143 


once said, are usually found to have created 
their own luck by hard work and upright meth- 
ods,^’ and the observation struck Will as being 
very close to the truth. This spring he had 
abandoned the idea of raising a variety of 
small vegetables, as he had done in previous 
years, and contented himself with planting all 
his available ground with potatoes. These, if 
properly cared for, would pay nearly as much 
profit as the market garden, and be a good deal 
less work. Now that the mushrooms were 
doing so well the boy felt he could afford to 
take life a trifle easier, and this method re- 
duced Egbert ^s labors as well as his own. 

Pondering these things he rang the bell at 
the big house and was at once ushered into Mr. 
Williams’ study, where he was delighted to find 
Doctor Meigs seated. 

After the first words of greeting Mr. Will- 
iams said: 

Will, how would you like to go to England, 
on a little business trip? ” 

The youth was so astonished that for a mo- 
ment he stared at his questioner vacantly, and 
during this interval the mill owner made a 


144 


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rapid but not less complete inspection of the 
messenger he was about to entrust with so im- 
portant and delicate an errand. 

Will Carden could hardly be called a boy any 
longer. He was nearly eighteen years of age, 
and had grown swiftly toward manhood since 
the reader was first introduced to him. Tall 
and well-knit, with broad shoulders and an 
erect bearing, a stranger might easily have 
guessed the young man to be two or three years 
older than he really was. Moreover, there was 
a sagacious and observant expression upon his 
young face that might well have been caused 
by his vivid appreciation of the responsibilities 
thrust upon him so early in life. Yet, lest you 
mistake Will for a paragon, let it be said 
that the same expression may often be seen 
upon the face of a manly young fellow looking 
broadly upon the great future, and it is well 
worth observing. Will had his failings, as all 
properly constituted boys have; but they were 
such as threw his better qualities into strong 
relief. 

Mr. Williams seemed well satisfied with his 
brief inspection, and felt intuitively that he 


Annabel 


145 


might rely upon the youth’s discretion and 
faith. 

‘‘ Are you in earnest, sir! ” asked Will, 

Very much in earnest,” was the quiet 
reply. The errand is a secret one, yet I do 
not ask you to go as a spy, but rather to inves- 
tigate as fully as possible the business of the 
Atlas Steel Company of Birmingham. Upon 
your success depends to a great extent my 
future prosperity as a manufacturer. Will 
you undertake this mission! ” 

* ‘ If you think I am capable, sir, I will gladly 
go. It would please me to be of use to you, 
and I would enjoy the voyage and the chance 
to visit a foreign land.” 

Very good,” said Mr. Williams. I will 
pay all of your expenses, and allow you a hun- 
dred dollars a month for salary while you are 
absent. ’ ’ 

That is too much, sir, and I cannot accept 
it,” said Will, firmly. ‘‘ It will be enough to 
pay my expenses. Egbert can look after things 
while I am away, so that the business will 
suffer very little.” 

I am sorry you decline my offer,” replied 


146 


Annabel 


the manufacturer, rather stiffly. ‘‘ It obliges 
me to find another messenger, to whom I will 
probably be forced to pay double the salary I 
have offered you. Men who are competent and 
whom I may trust, are not to be had for a song, 
Mr. Carden.’’ 

Will looked red and embarrassed. He had 
never been called Mr. Carden ” by his friend 
Mr. Williams before, and the formal title led 
him to believe he had unwittingly offended the 
man who had been so kind to him. He looked 
appealingly at the doctor. 

You’re a confounded idiot, sir! ” said that 
brusque personage, with a deeper frown than 
usual, although in his heart the doctor was 
secretly admiring the boy. Here is a chance 
to be of great service to Mr. Williams, who 
coolly informs you that much of his future 
prosperity — a matter of many millions, doubt- 
less — depends upon this mission to England. 
Ho you wish to rob him, sir, by forcing him to 
employ a high priced agent, when you can do 
as well for a smaller sum? ” 

Will seemed bewildered. 

You don’t appear to understand me, Doc- 


Annabel 


147 


tor/’ lie said, reproachfully. ‘‘ It will be a 
splendid thing for me, a regular holiday, to 
make a trip like that. Why should I ask my 
friend to pay me a lot of money in addition? ” 

The laborer is worthy of his hire,” quoted 
Doctor Meigs, bluntly. Can’t you see that by 
accepting the salary — which is little enough, 
in all conscience — you give Mr. Williams the 
right to use your services in any way he may 
direct? ” 

Come, come. Will! ” cried Mr. Williams, 
springing up to lay a kindly hand upon the 
youth’s shoulder. Don’t let us haggle over 
a price. You’re worth the sum I offer, and 
much more, to me. So take it, and let’s call the 
matter settled.” 

‘‘ As you like, sir,” answered Will, feeling 
rather helpless between his two friends. I 
am very grateful to you both for all your kind- 
ness to me, and I’ll do anything you say I 
ought to do.” 

Good! ” growled the doctor, approvingly. 

We’ll put you through your paces, all right.” 

Mr. Williams laughed, and his laugh was 
always a pleasant one. 


148 


Annabel 


‘‘ And now,’^ said he, I will tell you why I 
am anxious to investigate the business of the 
Atlas company, which threatens me with a 
dangerous competition. ^ ’ 

The conference lasted until a late hour, and 
when it was ended Will understood perfectly 
what was required of him, and undertook to 
discover, if possible, where the English con- 
cern obtained the secret of the Carden process 
for making forge steel. 

When shall I go, sir? ” he finally asked. 

“ As soon as possible. Within a week, if you 
can get away. Steamers sail nearly every day, 
at this season.’^ 

How will next Wednesday do? inquired 
Will, after a moment ^s thought. 

“ Excellently,’’ returned Mr. Williams. I 
will send you money and further instructions 
to your home, for Mr. Jordan must not suspect 
you are in my employ. It will he best for you 
to confide in no one but your mother and Doctor 
Meigs. Merely tell your brother and sister, or 
any other inquirers, that you are going East.” 

‘‘ Very well, sir.” 

One can imagine the eager anticipation that 


Annabel 


149 


controlled Will Carden during the next few 
days. He ordered a new suit of clothes from 
the local tailor, and the doctor helped him to 
select a suitable outfit for his travels. Al- 
though he had never been farther away from 
Bingham than the city, which was twenty-two 
miles distant. Will had no fears of his ability 
to take good care of himself. He might appear 
a trifle green to experienced travellers, he 
admitted; but at his age any well balanced 
youth has ample self-command and judgment, 
so that he anticipated nothing but pleasure 
during the next busy month or two. 

Only one thing grieved him. He would be 
away during Annabel ^s vacation, and the young 
folks had laid many plans to be together during 
this time. But he left with Mr. Williams a note 
for the girl, telling her this was a business mat- 
ter of her father’s that could not be delayed, 
and begging her not to forget him during his 
absence. Singularly enough, neither he nor 
Annabel saw anything humorous in this 
request. 

Then, just at the last minute, Mr. Williams 
entrusted to him another errand that was not 


150 


Annabel 


wholly agreeable. Letters had come from Mrs. 
Williams that she was about to return home, 
being much improved in health; and her hus- 
band asked Will to proceed directly from 
Liverpool to London, there to meet Mrs. Will- 
iams at the Savoy Hotel and escort her to her 
steamer. Will was to see her safely started 
toward America before proceeding to Birming- 
ham upon his more important mission. 

At last he was off, and so novel was his jour- 
ney that he enjoyed even the tedious trip to 
New York. The Eastern agent of Mr. Will- 
iams met him on his arrival at the great 
metropolis, and after a day’s delightful sight- 
seeing with the good-natured agent as guide. 
Will was deposited safely aboard the big 
Cunarder that was to bear him over the vast 
expanse of the ocean. 

Here was a change, indeed, in Will Carden’s 
fortunes. From vegetable boy ” to “ special 
messenger to Europe ” seemed like an abrupt 
transition, and often as he walked the deck he 
wondered if it were all a dream, and he would 
presently awaken in his bed at home. But then 
his better judgment would inform him that 


Annabel 


151 


there was nothing so very remarkable in his 
good fortune, after all. With a good friend 
such as Dr. Meigs, a fortunate opportunity to 
save the life of a millionaire’s daughter, and 
the inheritance of an honorable name, much 
more than this might happen to a young fellow. 
Will had been in line for promotion, that was 
all; but he resolved to prove worthy, that his 
friends might not regret their confidence in 
him. 

There is an old saying that to be worthy 
of good fortune is to invite good fortune,” and 
there is much wisdom in the adage. The 
worthy do not always prove fortunate, it is 
true; but fortune is not so blind and fickle as 
we are sometimes led to believe, and sterling 
worth is a magnet that frequently attracts it. 


CHAPTER XIII 


MY LADY IS GBACIOUS 

The bustle and confusion of landing filled 
Will with eager joy. It is truly an experience 
of moment to any one, so it is not wonderful 
that our youth, fresh from a country town, 
should thrill with excitement at this first 
glimpse of a foreign land. But he did not lose 
his head, and managed to rescue his small 
trunk from the mass of baggage tumbled upon 
the quay, and to get it transported to the rail- 
way station. 

Then the train whirled him away, and with 
bustling Liverpool behind him he had mighty 
London to look forward to — the City of 
Cities in the eyes of all civilized humanity. 

By dint of intelligent inquiry on shipboard 
he now knew exactly how to act. Once arrived 
at the terminal station he took a cab for the 
Savoy Hotel, where Mr. Williams had re- 
quested him to take a room. He met with one 
disappointment, in finding that Mrs. Williams 

152 


Annabel 


153 


had not yet arrived, for according to her letter 
she should have been at the Savoy some days 
since, and Mr. Williams had cabled her to 
await there WilPs arrival. 

However, there was nothing to do hut await 
the lady ^s appearance ; so he went to his room, 
removed all traces of travel, and descended to 
obtain his first serene view of the world ^s me- 
tropolis. He found a near-by restaurant, at 
which he dined most luxuriously, but grieved 
at sight of his bill. Dr. Meigs had impressed 
upon him the fact that Mr. Williams had mil- 
lions at his disposal, and therefore his confiden- 
tial agent ^s expenses need not be in any way 
curtailed. Mr. Williams had himself informed 
the young man that so long as Will acted as his 
representative he must live in a style befitting 
his employer's position in the world. 

‘ ‘ Do exactly as you think I would do myself, 
were I making the trip in person,’’ he said. 

So Will, although conscious of reckless ex- 
travagance from his own viewpoint, deter- 
mined not to hesitate to spend Mr. Williams’ 
money freely in providing a respectable living; 
but it startled him to find how much was 


154 


Annabel 


actually required to live in London in the same 
way that others did with whom he was con- 
stantly thrown in contact. 

After dinner he decided to attend an opera, 
a species of entertainment he had never before 
witnessed ; but he contented himself with a seat 
obtained for the most modest sum the bills 
quoted. - Being extremely fond of music, and 
of a naturally artistic and appreciative mind, 
the inexperienced boy found in the opera a 
veritable fairyland, and his dreams that night 
were filled with fantastic creations called up 
by the gorgeous spectacle he had beheld and 
the ravishing strains of music he had listened 
to. He realized he was getting a tremendous 
lot of experience in a very sudden manner, and 
it kept him keyed up to a high pitch of nervous 
tension until he became more accustomed to the 
novelty of existence in a great city. 

Next morning he inquired for Mrs. Williams 
again, only to find she had not yet arrived. 

She should have been here several days 
ago,’’ he said to the registry clerk, in an 
anxious voice. 


Annabel 


155 


Where was she coming from, sir? ” the 
man inquired. 

Paris, I believe.^’ 

‘‘ Then I beg you not to worry,’’ returned 
the clerk, with a reassuring smile ; ^ ‘ for most 
ladies find it a difficult matter to leave Paris, 
and frequently they linger there many days 
after they have planned to depart. Be patient, 
sir; and if the lady delays too long we will 
make inquiries for you in Paris.” 

That relieved Will ’s anxiety to an extent, for 
he could easily understand how a woman of 
Mrs. Williams ’ temperament would be likely to 
forget she was overdue in London, so long as 
the charms of Paris amused her. 

His instructions were to await her at this 
hotel, so he decided to give her three days more 
of grace, and if she did not then arrive to cable 
his employer for advice how to act. 

Will knew, in a general way, what he most 
cared to see in London, for he was as intelli- 
gent as the average American high school boy, 
and although he had never in his wildest 
dreams expected to go abroad, had stored up a 
mass of general information that was now 


156 


Annabel 


very useful to draw upon. So, with the aid of 
a guide-book, he found his way to the Tower, 
the House of Parliament, and Westminster 
Abbey, returning toward evening to his hotel 
with the uncomfortable feeling that should 
Mrs. Williams have arrived in his absence she 
would surely be annoyed by his neglect. 

But the clerk met his inquiry with a shake of 
the head, and relieved his fears. 

Next day he visited St. PauPs and stood be- 
fore the tombs of Wellington, Nelson and other 
great men whose names were familiar in his- 
tory. And then he mounted the top of an 
omnibus and rode for miles through the busy 
thoroughfares, until the immensity of the city 
overpowered him, and half bewildered he re- 
turned to his hotel to rest and collect his 
thoughts. It was a famous opportunity for a 
boy like Will Carden to take advantage of and 
those two days of waiting gave him experience 
that furnished him with pleasant recollections 
in all the years to come. 

That evening he saw Henry Irving enact 
King Lear, and learned a lesson he never for- 
got. When on the following morning he came 


Annabel 


157 


down to the office, the clerk informed him that 
Mrs. Williams had telegraphed she would 
arrive at ten o ’clock, so he need have no further 
anxiety. 

He watched her arrival, with two maids, 
a mountain of trunks and a dozen servants im- 
pressed at the entrance to carry parcels, wraps 
and miscellaneous articles of all descriptions; 
but the sight deterred him from approaching 
her until she was settled in her suite of rooms. 

Then he sent up a card and received an an- 
swer that Mrs. Williams would see Mr. Carden 
at one o’clock. The tedious wait made him 
nervous and disconcerted, so that when the im- 
portant hour arrived and he was shown to the 
great lady’s apartments he realized that he 
was not likely to create a very favorable 
impression. 

Nor did he. 

Mrs. Williams was reclining upon a couch, 
but she arose languidly and examined him 
through a little eyeglass, saying afterward in 
mincing tones : 

Dear me! Isn’t it the vegetable boy? ” 


158 


Annabel 


“ Yes’m,’’ said Will, shamefaced and awk- 
ward. 

I have been wondering whom it could be 
that Mr. Williams cabled would meet me here. 
The name was unknown to me. What are you, 
a valet? ” 

‘‘ Hardly that, madam,’’ replied Will, with 
a hearty, boyish laugh; and surely that laugh 
must have made a favorable impression upon 
the lady, for she lowered her eyeglass and 
murmured : 

I have been from home so long that I am 
ignorant of present conditions there. But you 
seem to have grown bigger, and — and — 
older. ’ ’ 

“ Naturally, madam,” said he; and then he 
added, with an assumption of such dignity as 
he could command under the circumstances: 

I have the honor to be your husband’s confi- 
dential agent, abroad upon business matters. 
For this reason Mr. Williams thought it best 
that I should meet you here and offer such 
services as I may be able to render you. ’ ’ 

To be sure,” she said, musingly; and it 
was very thoughtful of him. If I remember 


Annabel 


159 


rightly, you were the boy that carried Annabel 
home the day she fell into the pond.^^ 

He bowed. 

I am glad to see, Mrs. Williams, that you 
seem to have quite recovered your good 
health,’’ he observed, to get away from the 
subject. 

Not quite, sir,” she answered, in a more 
cordial tone; but I am much better than 
when I first came from America. Won’t you 
sit down? ” noting that he was still standing. 

And now, please tell me how you left my 
children. Were they well? Are they growing? 
Really, I shall be glad to see them again after 
this long separation.” 

Will had his own ideas about the interest the 
woman took in her children; but it was a sub- 
ject very interesting to him personally, so he 
chatted away in his usual bright manner, re- 
lating the progress of his friends and play- 
mates and adding such gossip of Bingham as 
he thought might interest his listener. 

And Mrs. Williams began to approve more 
and more of the pleasant young man before 
her. 


160 


Annabel 


‘‘ Are you returning home with me? she 
asked, presently. 

I’m afraid not. I have business in Bir- 
mingham that may detain me for some time,” 
he replied. 

She seemed really disappointed. 

I hate London,” said she, wearily, ‘‘ so I 
shall take the first steamer home. You will 
look it up for me, to-morrow, and make ar- 
rangements? ” 

“ With great pleasure, madam.” 

And you must dine with me this evening. 
I will meet you in the pink salon at half past 
seven, and we will go to the main restaurant.” 

Thank you, madam,” he said, filled with a 
sense of depression at the very idea of dining 
with the great lady. 

As he rose to go she added, as if by an after- 
thought : 

You will, of course, appear in full dress, 
Mr. Carden. Until then, au revoir.” 

With a bow he was dismissed, and as he 
stumbled into the hall and the maid closed the 
door behind him, he remembered that a full- 
dress suit was something he did not possess. 


Annabel 


161 


Eeally, he ought to go back and tell her so ; but 
the very thought of doing this made him panic- 
stricken, and instead he went down stairs to 
get some luncheon and think over his predica- 
ment. 


CHAPTEE XIV 


A DINNEK IN A DKESS SUIT 

On his way Will passed the ladies’ restau- 
rant, and noted the handsome toilets of its 
occupants with something of a shock. Mrs. 
Williams would doubtless be elaborately 
gowned that evening, and of course he ought to 
be in full dress also. What an absurd situation 
to confront a poor country boy, who had been 
so proud of the new suit the Bingham tailor 
had provided him with! Will Carden in a 

swallowtail! ” The very thought made him 
smile — and then shudder. Whatever should 
he do? 

The gentlemen’s lunch room was rather full, 
but the courteous usher asked permission of a 
guest who sat at a small table in one corner, 
and then seated Will opposite him. 

The gentleman was reading a newspaper, 
and merely glanced at the new arrival. Will 
could see that he had a big, impressive figure, 
a close-cropped beard of iron-gray, and an ex- 
162 


Annabel 


163 


pression upon his face that was grave yet 
kindly. 

Having made this cursory inspection, he 
gave his simple order to the waiter and then 
relapsed into moody abstraction. That dread- 
ful dress suit haunted him like some malignant 
demon. If he made an excuse to cancel the en- 
gagement Mrs. Williams would he offended ; if 
he appeared in his ordinary clothes she would 
be more offended still. And now that she had 
begun to treat him with some slight considera- 
tion he disliked to do anything to forfeit her 
respect or good will. 

‘‘ Something disagreeable, sir?’’ asked a 
pleasant voice. 

The gentleman had laid down his paper and 
was engaged in eating his luncheon. As he 
spoke he glanced at Will with a smile, which 
the boy returned, feeling rather ashamed of 
his depression because of so trivial a matter. 

Something quite disagreeable, as you ob- 
serve, sir,” he answered. 

You are an American? ” 

‘‘ Yes, sir. And you? ” 

A shadow crossed the gentleman’s face. 


164 


Annabel 


Formerly I lived in the States. But I am 
quite English, now, although I have never 
ceased to love my native land. That is why I 
ventured to speak to a young man who is so 
evidently an American. Can I be of any 
assistance to you! ’’ 

Will laughed. 

‘‘To be frank with you, my tribulation is 
caused merely by a lack of a dress suit,’’ said 
he. “I must dine with a lady — a very 
‘ swell ’ lady, sir, — to-night, and I possess only 
the clothes you behold.” 

“ You have lost your baggage? ” 

“No, sir; I never have owned a dress suit. 
Indeed, these are the best clothes I have, and 
had not the lady asked me to dine with her I 
should have considered them equal to all my 
requirements. ’ ’ 

“ What part of America are you from? ” 

“ A little town called Bingham.” 

The man gave a sudden start, and moved his 
lips as if about to speak. But no words came, 
and closing his jaws firmly together, as if to 
repress the impulse, he leaned back in his chair 


Annabel 


165 


and gazed at Will with a look that was more 
pathetic than curious. 

The boy scarcely noticed the interruption. 
He rambled on, explaining that he was sent 
abroad on business by a Mr. Williams, and was 
only staying in London to see the wife of his 
employer aboard the steamer on her way home. 
It was cruel, he protested, for her to ask him 
to dine with her in a fashionable hotel, know- 
ing as she did his station in life, and still more 
cruel to ask him to appear in a dress suit. 

Of all this, and much more, he talked as he 
ate his luncheon, and the gentleman listened in 
grave silence, but most attentively. 

After the meal was finished he asked : 

Have you money? ’’ 

‘‘Yes, sir; plenty.’’ 

“ Then I believe I shall be able to relieve 
your embarrassment, if you will walk with me 
a few doors down the street. ’ ’ 

“ I shall be very grateful, sir.” 

The gentleman arose to leave the cafe, and 
Will noticed that the waiters and ushers all 
bowed with profound deference as he passed 
out. But that was not singular. The most 


166 


Annabel 


careless observer could not fail to be impressed 
by bis new friend’s dignified bearing. 

On the street he nodded to several acquain- 
tances and tipped his hat gracefully to a lady 
who rode by in a handsome equipage. Will 
was quite proud of his companion, who was 
evidently a person of importance. 

But now they turned into a fashionable tailor 
shop, and the proprietor was bowing and 
scraping most humbly before the gray-haired 
gentleman, who beckoned him aside. 

Will did not hear the conversation that en- 
sued, but the tailor rubbed his hands together 
complacently and nodded so often that the boy 
wondered he did not dislocate his neck. 

He will fit you out, all right, and send you 
the suit in ample time,” said the gentleman, 
returning to Will’s side. ‘‘ And now, if there 
is no way I can be of further assistance to you, 
permit me to bid you good day. ’ ’ 

‘‘ Thank you very much, sir.” 

With a smile and nod the man was gone, and 
now the obsequious tailor was inviting him to 
stand upon a pedestal to be measured. Evi- 
dently the fellow had received definite instruc- 


Annabel 


167 


tions what to do, for he asked no questions 
except where to send the clothes, and declared 
again and again that they would be delivered 
by six o’clock. 

Will passed the rest of the afternoon looking 
up steamship offices and inquiring about sail- 
ings to New York. Mrs. Williams had said he 
could do this to-morrow, but he preferred to 
attend to the matter at once. He finally se- 
lected a steamer that sailed the next Saturday, 
which would give the lady ample time to pre- 
pare for the trip, and having made the booking 
he returned to his hotel to await with consider- 
able anxiety the approach of the eventful 
evening. 

At six o’clock a large parcel was delivered 
to his room, and upon opening it he found not 
only his new full-dress suit, but the accompany- 
ing linen, the proper tie, and everything else 
that he might need. His chance acquaintance 
had proved a veritable magician, for even to 
one of Will’s inexperience it was evident such 
an outfit could only be procured upon short 
notice by means of considerable influence. 

The bill that lay in the bottom of the box 


168 


Annabel 


startled him at first; but, had he known it, it 
was remarkably small for the amount and qual- 
ity of the goods it covered. 

From his observations during the voyage 
across, and his three days in London, Will Car- 
den was not ignorant of what was required in 
society in the way of evening dress, and the 
outfit before him permitted little chance of 
mistake. He dressed himself very carefully, 
finding that each article fitted admirably; and 
when all was accomplished he spent several 
minutes gazing wonderingly at his own reflec- 
tion in the long mirror. 

He reached the pink salon a little ahead of 
his engagement, and Mrs. Williams was a little 
behind hers; so the interval gave him time to 
regain his composure. He found several gen- 
tlemen present who were dressed exactly like 
himself, and that made him feel almost at ease 
by the time Mrs. Williams appeared. 

She wore a handsome evening dress of black 
net trimmed with jet, and many brilliant gems 
sparkled upon her neck and hands. After the 
first inquiring glance at her escort she smiled 
approvingly, for Will looked very proper and 


Annabel 


169 


handsome in her critical worldly eyes and it 
was an agreeable experience to have a nice 
looking young man at her side. 

They found a small table awaiting them in 
the restaurant, where the scene was so brilliant, 
that it filled Will with surprise. Handsomely 
gowned ladies were present in profusion, and 
the soft glow of the rose-shaded lights on rich 
glass and napery made a beautiful picture not 
easily forgotten by one unaccustomed to such 
luxuries. 

Will noticed, as he seated himself, that at a 
neighboring table his friend of the afternoon 
was dining with two male companions, all in 
prescribed evening dress. The gentleman saw 
him, and returned his bow with a pleasant 
smile. 

Mrs. Williams maintained a flow of social 
small talk that Will was scarcely able to under- 
stand, and surely could make little reply to. 
But she did not seem to expect him to converse, 
except in monosyllables, so he assumed an air 
of respectful attention to her remarks and let 
his thoughts and eyes wander amid his novel 
surroundings. He neither knew nor cared 


170 


Annabel 


what food was being served, for he seemed to 
he in a fairy land, and the merry hum of voices, 
the soft strains of music, the silent rush of the 
waiters and the atmosphere of sensuous com- 
fort pervading the magnificent arched room, all 
tended to bewilder his mind and render him 
indifferent to the commonplace occupation of 
eating. 

Presently a lady detached herself from a 
group of diners and came to their table to greet 
Mrs. Williams, who seemed to be an old ac- 
quaintance. After acknowledging Will ^s polite 
bow on his introduction the lady ignored him 
and seated herself in a vacant chair beside 
Mrs. Williams, beginning a brisk conversation 
which soon drifted into gossip about those 
present. 

I suppose you know very few of our Lon- 
don notables,’’ she said, having passed so 
much of your time on the Continent. The lady 
in lavender at the third table to your right is 

the Duchess of M ; and just behind her is 

Lady Mary K , whose divorce suit you have 

doubtless read of. And do you see those gen- 
tlemen at a table by the pillar yonder? They 


Annabel 


171 


are well worth attention. The one with the 
moustache is Prince Von D , and the plain- 

faced man is Mr. Ashkam, the great London 
banker. The third, with the gray hair and 
beard, is the head of the Atlas Steel works, the 
famous John Carden, who is reputed one of the 
wealthiest manufacturers in the United King- 
dom. Next to them ’’ 

Will’s fork fell from his hand, clattering 
against his plate with a sound so startling that 
it attracted many eyes in his direction. 

Trembling violently, and with a white face, 
he was staring at the man pointed out as John 
Carden, who returned the look with astonish- 
ment. 

Excuse me — I — I am ill — I cannot stay 
here ! ” he stammered, in a low voice ; and ris- 
ing hurriedly, regardless of Mrs. Williams’ 
shocked expression, he staggered from the 
room. 

The gentleman hastily followed. He found 
Will in the dimly lighted ante-room, where the 
boy stood wringing his hands in an agony of 
nervous excitement. Seeing the man, he 
rushed toward him at once, saying: 


172 


Annabel 


John Carden! Are yon really John Car- 
den? ’’ 

Yes.'' 

John Carden of Bingham? " 

‘‘ Yes," repeated the other, seizing Will's 
outstretched hands; ‘‘ once of Bingham." 

^ ‘ Then I am your son ! ’ ' cried the hoy, with 
a sob. I am Will Carden." 


CHAPTER XV 


ANNABEL MAKES A DISCOVEKY 

When Mary Louise, Annabel and Theodore 
came home for the summer vacation there was 
genuine disappointment to all in finding Will 
Carden absent from Bingham. But I think 
none missed him so sincerely as Annabel. 

She drove over to see Mrs. Carden and Flo 
and chatted with them for an hour; but it was 
not until she found time to be alone with her 
father, for one of our good talks, daddy, 
that she learned the truth about WilPs mission 
abroad. In that connection Mr. Williams was 
obliged to tell her something of his suspicions 
of Mr. Jordan, and the girl listened earnestly 
to all he said. 

‘‘ I never did like the man, dear,’^ she de- 
clared; ‘‘ nor does Will like him, although Mr. 
Jordan was so good to his dead father. But 
why don’t you force the secretary to tell you 
the real secret of the process, when you are 
entitled to it? ” 


173 


174 


Annabel 


I mean to, when the proper time comes,’’ 
was the reply. “ But I cannot get rid of the 
idea that Jordan has some other object than to 
withhold this knowledge.” 

‘‘ I suppose he thinks that as long as you are 
ignorant of the real secret of the process you 
cannot discharge him, or stop the payment of 
his royalties,” she said, musingly. 

The secret is no longer so important as it 
was formerly,” said Mr. Williams, somewhat 
gloomily. ‘‘ That Birmingham discovery wor- 
ries me more than I can explain. The English 
steel is even a better grade than my own, and 
if its makers choose to invade this country 
their competition would seriously affect my 
business, and might even ruin it.” 

I’m sure Will can find out all you wish to 
know,” she returned. ‘‘ Don’t fret, papa. Let 
us wait until he gets back.” 

Shortly after this conversation the manufac- 
turer met Doctor Meigs, who asked; 

How is Jordan conducting himself these 
days? ” 

Bather strangely,” said Mr. Williams. 


Annabel 


175 


I sometimes think he’s getting ready to run 
away. ’ ’ 

‘‘ Think so? ” 

“ Yes. I have paid the fellow over a hundred 
thousand dollars in royalties, and this money, 
which has been accumulating in the same bank 
in the city that I myself use, and am also a 
director of, has suddenly been withdrawn and 
placed elsewhere.” 

“ Where? ” 

‘‘ I do not know.” 

‘‘ Perhaps he has invested it.” 

Mr. Williams shook his head, doubtfully. 

Then, during the last few weeks,” he con- 
tinued, “ he has been nervously rushing out 
our orders and getting the goods delivered, 
when there is no need at all of haste.” 

Why? ” 

Because as soon as delivery is made he 
is entitled to his royalty, which he draws 
promptly, and sends away. It looks to me as 
though he is trying to get together all the 
money he can, and then skip out.” 

‘‘ But why should he do that? ” inquired the 


176 


Annabel 


doctor, who was plainly puzzled by this state- 
ment. 

I can’t explain it, unless that foreign com- 
petition has frightened him. Ever since we 
had that conversation in my office, at which you 
were present, Jordan has been a different man. 
Little things seem to startle him, whereas he 
used to be the coolest man I ever met. He 
looks up sharply at every one who enters the 
office, and gets very irritable over small things 
that never before annoyed him. IVe been 
watching him closely, you see.” 

Could he possibly know we have sent Will 
to England? ” 

I believe that secret is safe. Only Mrs. 
Carden knows it, and she would never betray 
it to J ordan, you may be sure. ’ ’ 

What will you do? ” asked the doctor. 

‘‘ Keep an eye on him, and if he attempts 
to get away hold him until he tells me truly the 
secret of the process that he sold me. Other- 
wise he is free to go wherever he pleases.” 

‘‘ Have you heard from Will? ” 

No, and it is rather strange that I have 
not. He has cabled me that Mrs. Williams will 


Annabel 


177 


arrive on the Baltic, which is due in New York 
next week; but he said not a word about him- 
self or the business matters on which he is en- 
gaged.’’ 

Perhaps there is nothing yet to say,” sug- 
gested the doctor, and with a handshake the 
friends parted. 

On Sunday afternoon Annabel asked her 
father to join her in a walk, as the day was de- 
lightfully pleasant. He agreed at once, and 
they strolled along the lanes until they came to 
the Carden house, where they stopped for a 
little visit with Will’s mother. Mrs. Carden 
had greatly improved in health since being re- 
lieved of so much of the drudgery of house- 
work, and the increased prosperity of the fam- 
ily fortunes had rendered her brighter and 
more cheerful than of old. Possessed of an 
excellent education and much native refinement 
of manner, Mrs. Carden had formerly been one 
of the most popular women in Bingham, and 
although her husband’s tragic loss had greatly 
embittered her life during the past dozen years, 
she was gradually resuming her natural sweet- 
ness and charming personality. 


178 


Annabel 


So both Annabel and her father passed a 
pleasant hour at the house, and then started on 
to resume their walk. 

“ Let us go by the grove,’’ said the girl. 

It’s Mr. Jordan’s favorite walk, and Will 
says he never misses an evening unless there’s 
a hurricane to stop him. ’ ’ 

‘‘ And hurricanes are uncommon,” added 
her father, smiling. Well, it looks cool and 
pleasant under the trees, so we ’ll walk that way. 
But why do you suppose Mr. Jordan takes such 
long journeys every evening? ” 

For exercise, I imagine. Will says he 
starts right after supper and tramps a good 
five miles. And when he gets back he shuts 
himself in his room and sees no one until 
morning. ’ ^ 

A strange man,” said Mr. Williams, 
musingly; and either extremely simple or 
extremely shrewd. I can’t decide which.” 

There was little other conversation between 
the two until they reached the grove; but as 
they passed between the great trees Annabel 
suddenly said; 


Annabel 


179 


Do you know, papa, I almost suspect Mr. 
Jordan is crazy? ” 

‘‘No; why do you think that? 

“ Because he does such funny things. I re- 
member Will’s telling me once about a queer 
thing that happened in this very grove.” 

“ What was it? ” asked her father, absently. 

“ Mr. Jordan used to stop at a certain tree, 
and after looking around to find out if anyone 
was near he would pass his hand swiftly up 
and down the bark of the tree, as secretly as if 
he were committing some crime.” 

Mr. Williams turned to gaze upon his daugh- 
ter’s face with wonder. 

“ Then,” said Annabel, “ he would come 
hack to the path, and resume his walk.” 

“Which tree was it?” asked her father, 
earnestly. 

“ Why, I think I can find it, for twice Will 
has pointed it out to me when we were walking 
here. Let me see. Here is the turn in the path 

— and here is where Mr. Jordan always 
stopped * * * and there — no, not that one 

— the big oak just beside it * ^ * that’s the 
very tree, papa! Will once found the tracks of 


180 


Annabel 


Mr. Jordan’s feet in the snow, where he’d 
walked up to it. Isn’t it funny? ” 

Mr. Williams shook his head. There was a 
puzzled expression upon his face. He stared at 
the tree for a time as if in a brown study. The 
incident just related was singular enough to be 
interesting, but the old oak was just like a 
dozen other oaks that stood around. Why 
should Mr. Jordan pay especial attention to 
that particular tree? 

‘‘Where are you going, papa?” 

“ I ’m going to examine the tree more 
closely. ’ ’ 

He walked straight up to it, and stood min- 
utely examining the bark. Then he passed his 
hand over it. 

‘ ‘ Higher up, ’ ’ said Annabel. ‘ ‘ He used to 
feel about on a level with his head. Will told 
me, and he’s taller than you are, papa.” 

Mr. Williams touched the bark higher up, 
and looked mystified. Surely there had been 
no reason for Mr. Jordan’s action. Perhaps 
the man was mad, after all, and this was one 
of his crazy notions. 

Wait a moment though! Wasn’t that a crack 


Annabel 


181 


in tlie rongh bark? Mr. Williams took out his 
pocketknife, and inserted the blade into the 
crack. Yes, the bark had separated slightly at 
this point. He followed the line with his knife 
blade, with growing excitement. It zig-zagged 
this way and that, keeping first to the right, 
then upward almost as far as he could reach, 
then to the left on almost a straight line; then 
down again to the starting point. 

Mr. Williams withdrew the blade and took a 
long breath. 

‘‘ That square of bark is separate from the 
rest,” he said. 

How odd! ” answered Annabel, her eyes 
bigger than usual. 

Her father looked around, and espied an old 
root lying near. He dragged this over to the 
tree, and standing upon it was able to place his 
face close to the bark. 

Then he indulged in a low whistle, for he had 
discovered a blackened screw-head half hidden 
by the roughness of the surface. Again he 
drew out his pocketknife and deliberately 
snapped one of the blades in half. With this 


182 


Annabel 


improvised screwdriver lie set to work, and 
shortly had the screw removed. 

Mr. Williams had been a mechanic in his 
younger days. He knew just what to do under 
the present circumstances. 

Annabel watched him with an interest that 
became more intense every moment. 

He found a second screw, and removed it; 
a third, and then a fourth. With this the piece 
of bark came away in his hand, revealing a 
hollow cavity in the tree behind it. 

Mr. Williams took out his handkerchief and 
wiped the perspiration from his forehead. 
Then he thrust his hand into the cavity, and 
when he withdrew it he was clutching a bundle 
of papers, tied together with a cotton cord. 


CHAPTER XVI 


MR. WILLIAMS DECIDES TO ACT 

What is it, papa? whispered Annabel, 
with extreme eagerness. 

The man sat down upon the root and hastily- 
examined the papers. When again he looked 
upon his daughter his face was white and 
drawn, and in his eyes was an expression of 
intense horror. 

^ ‘ My dear, ’ ’ he said, gently, ‘ ‘ you have been 
the means of discovering one of the most 
wicked plots that any man has ever conceived. ^ ^ 

‘‘ What is it? ’’ she asked, again. 

I canT tell you all until I have read these 
papers carefully. They are ample proof, how- 
ever, that Jordan is one of the greatest scoun- 
drels on earth! Why he should have placed 
these papers here, instead of destroying them, 
I cannot understand.’’ 

Perhaps God made him do it,” said the 
girl, in an awed voice. 

He leaned over and kissed her. 


183 


184 


Annabel 


Surely the hand of God is visible in all this, 
my darling,’^ he replied, gravely. And He 
doubtless led us to this grove to-day.’’ 

He placed the packet carefully in an inner 
pocket of his coat, which he afterward buttoned 
carefully. Then, after a moment’s thought, he. 
replaced the bark, putting the screws back in 
place. This task being finished, he proceeded 
to drag away the root upon which he had stood. 

Even a careful observer could not now have 
known the bark had ever been disturbed, and 
satisfied that the secret was safe he led Anna- 
bel from the grove and across to a lane that 
would bring them close to their own home. 

You must keep all this mystery to yourself, 
my darling,” he enjoined her, for a time, at 
least, until we have planned how best to act.” 

Very well, papa,” returned the girl, seri- 
ously. She knew well that something impor- 
tant had been unearthed, and although curious, 
as any girl might well be, to unravel the 
enigma, she was wise enough not to urge her 
father to confide in her until he chose to do so. 

Indeed, he knew only a little of the truth 
himself, as yet; such as had been hurriedly 


Annabel 


185 


gleaned by a brief examination of the papers. 

Arrived at the house, he dismissed Annabel 
with a kiss and dispatched a groom at once to 
find Doctor Meigs and bring that gentleman 
back with him. After this he shut himself up 
in his study with orders that he must not be 
disturbed. 

As it was Sunday the doctor was soon found, 
and came at once, suspecting that something 
of unusual importance had occurred. He im- 
mediately joined Mr. Williams in the study, and 
for several hours the two men were closeted 
in the little room, engaged in deep conference. 

Gradually the children, awed by the atmos- 
phere of mystery that pervaded the entire 
house, retired to bed, and then the servants 
turned out the lights and followed them, leaving 
only old Thomas, the butler, to show the doc- 
tor out and lock the doors for the night. 

Thomas was almost asleep himself when 
aroused by the bell. He found the doctor and 
Mr. Williams standing together in the hall, 
and started at the sight of their stern, white 
features. 

Then it is fully decided we shall wait until 


186 


Annabel 


Wednesday? ’’ asked the doctor, his voice 
harsh and grating. 

Until Wednesday,” returned Mr. Will- 
iams, wearily. Then he pressed his friend 
hand. Good night.” 

Good night, sir.” 

Thomas closed the door after the departing 
guest and locked it. When he turned around 
his master was staring into space with such a 
fierce look in his eyes that the old servant 
shrank back in fear, and then slunk away, leav- 
ing the man alone with his thoughts. 

Next morning Mr. Williams caught an early 
train to the city, where he at once sought a de- 
tective bureau, staying several hours in ear- 
nest consultation with the chief. The result 
was not immediately evident, although when 
the manufacturer took the afternoon train for 
Bingham, a quiet man, plainly dressed and un- 
obtrusive, followed him into the car and seated 
himself in a corner. At the last moment an- 
other man, dressed in a loud checked suit and 
seeming to he a commercial traveller, to judge 
by his sample cases, swung himself aboard the 


Annabel 


187 


train and noisily took a seat near to Mr. Will- 
iams, who did not recognize him in any way. 

Both of these men left the train at Bingham, 
but they did not follow the owner of the steel 
works, who crossed the tracks and proceeded 
pensively toward the offices. 

Mr. Jordan nodded as usual when his em- 
ployer entered, and then calmly resumed his 
work. Mr. Williams entered his private office 
and looked through the mail before going home 
to dinner. 

Annabel thought that her father kissed her 
more tenderly than usual that evening ; but she 
did not refer to their secret, nor did he men- 
tion it in any way. 

Mr. Jordan partook of his usual frugal meal 
at the hotel, and then started for his walk. 
The commercial traveller was smoking a big 
cigar upon the porch as the secretary passed 
out, but Mr. Jordan did not notice him. He 
walked down the road as far as the Carden 
house, turned up the lane, and with measured 
steps and upright form pursued his way to the 
grove and through it. At one point he stopped 
and listened. Everything was still among the 


188 


Annabel 


trees, except that a thrush sent a last wailing 
note after the dying sun. Mr. Jordan seemed 
satisfied. He left the path and walked calmly 
to an oak tree, where he passed his hand rap- 
idly over the surface of the bark. 

It was all done in an instant, and as he after- 
ward proceeded on his way he had no idea that 
a plainly dressed stranger had been standing 
behind a clump of bushes watching his every 
movement. 

The next day Mr. Williams was at the office 
as usual, but when Mr. Jordan sent a clerk to 
ask for a conference about some of the busi- 
ness details his superior answered that he was 
too busily engaged to see his secretary. 

Mr. Jordan seemed surprised and uneasy, 
but he said nothing. 

In the afternoon a telegram was laid upon 
Mr. Williams^ desk. He opened it indiffer- 
ently, but a moment later sprang to his feet 
with a cry of delight. 

It read: Arrived in New York to-day. 

Night train to Bingham. Be with you to-mor- 
row. Mrs. Williams, who, with my son, ac- 
companies me, quite well. John Cakden.” 


Annabel 


189 


Excellent! lie exclaimed, rubbing bis 
bands together in an ecstacy of joy. ‘‘ Tbe 
band of fate is surely in this. Or,’’ and here 
be bowed bis bead reverently, perhaps my 
little girl is right, and it is tbe band of God!” 


CHAPTER XVII 


MR. JORDAN HEARS A STORY 

The children were delighted with the news of 
their mother ’s speedy return. During her long 
absence all grievances had been forgotten, and 
they only remembered that the absent mother, 
whom they loved, was coming back to them. 

All through the house was a flutter of ex- 
citement, which even the servants were unable 
to escape. Mary Louise, like the sweet and 
dainty house-fairy she was, wandered through 
her mother’s long-deserted rooms, putting 
everything in order with a discretion and 
taste that was essentially womanly. And An- 
nabel prepared vases of her mother’s favorite 
flowers, whose fragrance would be sure to prove 
a tender greeting to the returned traveller. 
Even little Gladys insisted on helping ‘‘ to get 
ready for* mamma,” although her sisters would 
gladly have dispensed with her assistance. 

Annabel had another source of pleasure, for 
her father had said, rather briefly but with an 

190 


Annabel 


191 


odd look in his eyes; Will is coming back 
with your mother, although it is sooner than 
I had expected him.’’ 

She knew from the gravity of his voice that 
he did not wish to be asked questions, so she 
only smiled happily at the news, and kissed 
him. 

Over at the Carden cottage Mr. Jordan was 
having a restless night. He returned from his 
evening walk as usual, but when he had locked 
himself in his room he began pacing the floor 
restlessly, a thing which Mrs. Carden, who 
could hear his footsteps plainly, did not re- 
member that he had ever done before. 

Had anyone been able to peep within the 
room — which no one ever could — he would 
have found the secretary’s thin face distorted 
by a wrathful scowl. Indeed, Mr. Jordan was 
not at all pleased with the way things were go- 
ing at the mills. Mr. Williams’ evident repug- 
nance to him, which had been growing for some 
time, and his flat refusal that day to confer 
with his secretary, had awakened in the man 
vague misgivings for which he could not ac- 
count. And then that discovery by Mr. Will- 


192 


Annabel 


iams of the English steel made by the Carden 
process was liable to precipitate a crisis. 

Mr. Jordan had known of this foreign steel 
for years, bnt had hoped Mr. Williams would 
never discover it. There was an ominous atmos- 
phere surrounding him just now that warned 
the secretary that he must no longer delay ac- 
tion — such action as he had planned for, long 
ago. 

He thought the matter over carefully, as he 
paced the floor, and finally made his decision. 
But even after he went to bed he could not 
sleep, and tossed restlessly upon his couch un- 
til morning came. 

Then he arose and dressed with his usual 
care. His personal possessions were not very 
great. The old horse-hair trunk contained lit- 
tle of value, and as his eyes roved over the 
room he saw few things that he really cared 
for. 

In the end he put together a few toilet ar- 
ticles and some linen and underwear, which he 
made into a package and wrapped with a news- 
paper. Then, with a last look around, he left 


Annabel 


193 


the house in his usual quiet manner and walked 
up the road to the village. 

The man had frequently consulted his watch, 
and timed his actions to a nicety. He passed 
the village and reached the railway station just 
as the early train to the city was due. But he 
did not go upon the platform, where his pres- 
ence might excite surprise, preferring to stand 
behind the square, brick station-house until he 
heard the train draw in. Even then he calcu- 
lated his time. It would take so long to unload 
passengers ; so long for the people to enter the 
cars ; so long to load the baggage, and — 

^ ‘ All aboard ! ’ ’ cried the conductor. 

Mr. Jordan smiled grimly and walked around 
the comer of the building. Yes, he had just 
time to swing aboard as the train drew out. 

But then a disagreeable accident happened. 
A commercial traveller, dressed in a loud 
checked suit, dashed out of a door of the depot 
in the direction of the train and ran plump 
against Mr. Jordan, almost knocking that gen- 
tleman down and sending his newspaper bun- 
dle flying several yards away. The blundering 
fellow actually tumbled down, and in strug- 


194 


Annabel 


gling to rise caugM Mr. Jordan around the 
knees and held him so fast that he could not 
move. 

‘ ‘ Let go — release me ! ’ ’ shouted the secre- 
tary angrily. 

I beg your pardon! I beg your pardon! 
the other kept repeating humbly; but by the 
time he had scrambled up and released his vic- 
tim the train had pulled away, and now at con- 
stantly increasing speed was flying along the 
tracks in the direction of the city. 

“ You scoundrel! ’’ roared the exasperated 
gentleman, you’ve made me lose my train! ” 
I beg your pardon! I really beg your par- 
don, sir!” answered the traveller, in a meek 
voice, as he stopped to pick up his sample 
cases. ‘‘ It was horribly awkward of me, I 
know; but I’ve missed the train, myself. 
There’s another at noon, however, so I’ll go 
back to the hotel and get some breakfast. ’ ’ 

Mr. Jordan glared at him without reply. 
Then he decided to make the best of his misfor- 
tune and return to the hotel for breakfast him- 
self. 

He walked into the office a little earlier than 


Annabel 


195 


usual, deposited his newspaper bundle beside 
his desk, and went to work as methodically and 
calmly as ever. The clerks noticed no change 
in him. He was as positive in his orders as 
usual, and his manner gave no indication of the 
fact that he had secretly planned to abandon 
his post. 

At ten o^clock Dr. Meigs came in, and was 
shown at once into Mr. Williams’ private of- 
fice. A few minutes later a clerk said to the 
secretary : 

‘‘ Mr. Williams wishes to see you, sir.” 

Mr. Jordan glanced at the clock, and then 
at his bundle, and hesitated. But a moment’s 
thought served for him to decide how to act, 
and with a sullen frown upon his brow he arose 
and entered the private office. 

Sit down,” said Mr. Williams, pointing to 
a chair that faced both his own and the one in 
which the doctor was seated. 

Mr. Jordan obeyed. 

I want to tell you a story,” said his em- 
ployer, gravely; ‘‘ and I wish you to listen to 
it carefully and without interruption.” 

The man flushed, but answered nothing. 


196 


Annabel 


About eleven years ago/’ began Mr. Will- 
iams, two men lived in Bingham who were 
friends. One was a clerk in a bank, the other 
was a steel manufacturer who was experiment- 
ing to find a better way to make his product. 
He did, indeed, discover a new and valuable 
process, but at a time when his fortunes were 
at a low ebb, and all his resources, save a few 
hundred dollars, had been exhausted. Being 
unable to form a company in America to manu- 
facture his steel under the new process, he de- 
cided to go to Birmingham, England, where he 
thought he would have a better opportimity to 
interest capitalists. He divided his remaining 
money into two parts, taking half with him and 
leaving the remainder with his friend to be ap- 
plied for the use of his wife and three children 
until he could send for them to join him, or re- 
turn himself to support them. This man, whom 
he thought he could trust, promised faithfully 
to care for his friend’s family as if they were 
his own.” 

Mr. Jordan was now regarding the narrator 
with interest, but there was an amused and 
slightly scornful smile upon his thin lips. 


Annabel 


197 


“ The inventor — let ns call him John Car- 
den — sailed on a White Star steamer to Eng- 
land/^ resumed Mr. Williams; hut that fact 
was known only to his friend, who did not ad- 
vertise it. Instead, he watched the news- 
papers, and when he saw that a sailing vessel, 
the Pleiades, which left New York about the 
same time that Carden did, had foundered at 
sea and gone down with all hands on board, he 
went to the wife of his friend with well-assumed 
horror and told her that her husband had been 
upon this sailing ship, and was now dead. He 
even showed a letter in her husband’s hand- 
writing, carefully forged, stating that he had 
arranged to sail on the Pleiades from motives 
of economy. And here was a newspaper report 
of the vessel’s loss. A very pretty plot to get 
rid of John Carden, and it succeeded perfectly. 
Not only was all Bingham soon aware that 
Carden was lost at sea, but slanderous stories 
were circulated that he had run away to escape 
His creditors, and also that he owed his false 
friend, Ezra Jordan, ten thousand dollars, 
which he had borrowed to carry on his experi- 


198 


Annabel 


ments — a story which Mr. Jordan himself 
confirmed with hypocritical sighs. ^ ’ 

Sir, you are insulting! ’’ cried Jordan, 
springing to his feet with a livid face. I will 
hear no more of this lying tale.’’ 

Sit down! ” was the stern command. 
^ ‘ You must hear it either from me or in a court 
of justice — perhaps both, before we are done.” 

Mr. Jordan sat down. 

I am not sure that you realize the full hor- 
ror of this abominable crime,” resumed Mr. 
Williams. “ It transformed a bright and 
happy woman — happy — despite their im- 
pending poverty — in her husband’s love, into 
a broken-hearted, crushed and desolate widow, 
whose only incentive to drag her weary way 
through life was the necessity of caring for her 
fatherless little ones. It was worse than mur- 
der, sir, for it prolonged for years the suffering 
of a human heart.” 

For a moment he paused, and in the stillness 
that ensued the doctor could be heard mutter- 
ing dreadful words, as if to himself. Indeed, 
he could not trust himself to look at Mr. Jor- 
dan, who sat as motionless as if turned to stone. 


Annabel 


199 


‘‘ Before Garden went away/’ continued 
Mr. Williams, suddenly arousing himself and 
speaking in a sharp, clear tone, he left in a 
sealed envelope an exact description of his se- 
cret process for making steel, and gave it into 
his friend’s keeping with instructions that it 
must not he opened unless he met with sudden 
death. In that case Jordan was to lease or sell 
the process for the benefit of Carden’s family.” 

‘‘It’s a lie,” said Jordan, sullenly. “ He 
transferred the right to me. You have seen 
the paper.” 

“ A mere forgery,” declared Mr. Williams. 
“ Long before I came to Bingham, to find the 
man who could make such wonderful steel, you 
had opened the sealed envelope and prepared 
the forged transfer of all rights to yourself. 
I was very fully deceived, at that time ; and al- 
though you exacted from me excessive royalties 
for the use of the process, I made a contract 
with you in good faith and built this establish- 
ment. ’ ’ 

“ Well, you have made a fortune out of it,” 
retorted Jordan, savagely. ‘ ‘ Why are you now 


200 


Annabel 


hounding me, who gave you the opportunity to 
make millions'? 

“ Because you are an unprincipled scoun- 
drel, sir ! Because you have never been entitled 
to one dollar of the money I have paid you- 
The money belonged to the family of John 
Carden, or to John Carden himself.’^ 

“ The Carden family has not suffered,’’ an- 
swered the man, moving uneasily in his seat. 
‘‘I’ve boarded with them, and always helped 
support them.” 

The doctor uttered an exclamation that was 
like a roar, and clenching his fists, half started 
to rise from his chair. But Mr. Williams re- 
strained him with a look, and motioned him to 
have patience. 

“ Let us continue the story,” he said, “ for 
its appalling details are not half told. With 
John Carden well out of the way it was neces- 
sary he should not return to life to confound 
his destroyer. This required all of Jordan’s 
ingenuity. For Carden not only wrote to him, 
when he had arrived in England, but he also 
wrote to his wife, and Jordan had to watch the 
mails carefully in order to intercept these let- 


Annabel 


201 


ters. If one had reached Mrs. Carden the con- 
spiracy would have been foiled. It was a bold 
game, and I marvel even now that it succeeded. 
Carden found friends in Birmingham almost 
at once, who saw the value of his process and 
were eager to promote the manufacture of the 
new steel. The Atlas Steel Company was 
formed, with Carden a large stockholder, and 
soon he had sufficient means to send for his 
wife and family. I am almost sure that Jordan 
forged letters from Mrs. Carden to her hus- 
band about that time, purporting to be answers 
to those she received, for in no other way could 
his suspicions have been lulled. But the proofs 
of this are missing. I know, however, that 
when Carden forwarded to Jordan the money 
to enable his family to proceed to England, 
that Jordan kept the money for his own uses, 
making various excuses to his friend to account 
for the delay of the family in starting. 

His object in this was to work upon the 
husband the same horrible plot that had suc- 
ceeded in ruining the life of the wife. He was 
watching the newspapers again.” 

Jordan listened with his bald head thrust 


202 


Annabel 


eagerly forward. His face was white and ter- 
rified. 

‘‘ After several months the opportunity 
came, for the devil seems to favor his servants 
at times. The Italian steamer Victor Chalfante 
went down in mid-ocean, in a terrible storm, 
and Jordan, on receipt of the news, cabled John 
Carden that his family was on board. 

“We may well imagine the agony of the un- 
happy husband and father when he learned that 
his wife and children had been so suddenly 
swept into eternity. Indeed, he wrote one piti- 
ful letter to his old friend that would surely 
bring tears to the eyes of any honest man. It 
is here,’’ touching a bundle of papers with a 
gesture almost tender. “But Jordan — Jor- 
dan the fiend, the worse than murderer — only 
chuckled gleefully at the success of his plot. 
John Carden would never return to America 
now, and Mrs. Carden would never be able to 
tell her husband of the new steel mills that had 
been started in Bingham. Jordan was tri- 
umphant, and began to accumulate the fortune 
which he had so cleverly arranged to steal from 
his friend. 


Annabel 


203 


‘‘ He made two mistakes, however. One was 
that he forgot that there is an Almighty God 
watching over us all. The other was that he 
foolishly entrusted all the incriminating papers 
in his conspiracy to a hollow in an oak tree.’^ 

‘‘It’s false! ” shouted Jordan, now fully be- 
side himself and rising to shake an impotent 
and trembling fist in Mr. Williams’ face. “ It’s 
false, and I can prove it. John Carden is dead, 
and the money is all mine! John Carden is 
dead, and — ” 

“ John Carden is alive! ” cried a clear voice, 
as the door burst open to admit the speaker. 
And then John Carden himself strode into the 
room, followed by his son Will. 

“ Hurrah! ” shouted the doctor, and spring- 
ing to his feet he dashed at his old friend and 
actually embraced him in the exuberance of his 
joy. Chester H. Williams had never seen J ohn 
Carden before ; but the men were not strangers, 
for all that, since Will had told his father all 
the details of the great manufacturer’s history, 
and never wearied singing his praises. So in 
a moment the two men had clasped hands, the 
beginning of a friendship long to continue. 


204 


Annabel 


Jordan, shrinking back against the wall in 
abject terror at this denouement, made a 
stealthy effort to escape through the open door, 
but was halted by the burly form of the com- 
mercial traveller in the checked suit, who sud- 
denly occupied the doorway. 

“ Beg pardon, sir, but there’s no hurry,” 
said the fellow, with a grin. ‘ ‘ Better stay and 
see the fun. It’s going to be hot in a minute.” 

Then he retreated and closed the door be- 
hind him, and Jordan turned to confront the 
blazing eyes and sternly set features of the man 
he had so bitterly wronged. 


CHAPTER XVIII 
will’s best girl 

Man’s justice is helpless to punish adequately 
such crimes as Ezra Jordan had been guilty of, 
and John Carden was so grateful for the final 
restoration of his beloved wife and children 
that he was not disposed to prosecute legally 
the false friend who had been responsible for 
his years of anguish. 

‘‘ Let us leave this criminal to a Judgment 
surer and mightier than ours, ’ ’ he said, and the 
others acquiesced in his decision. 

But in the stormy interview that followed 
Mr. Williams stipulated that Jordan, as a price 
of his personal freedom, should refund to John 
Carden every penny of that vast sum of money 
of which he had so treacherously defrauded 
him, and although it was worse than death to 
the miser to disgorge his ill-gotten gains, he 
was forced to agree to the proposition. 

This being settled. Will was called upon for 
an explanation, and related the strange story of 

205 


206 


Annabel 


his finding his father in London. Mr. Carden 
followed with a brief outline of his successful 
career in Birmingham, where his wonderful 
process had made for him a great fortune and 
a respected name. 

The conference being now ended, Will and 
his father hurried away to meet the mother and 
wife, who was as yet ignorant of the glad sur- 
prise awaiting her. For father and son had 
gone straight to the office of the steel works 
from the station, delaying only long enough 
to place Mrs. Williams in the carriage that had 
been sent to whirl her home to the waiting arms 
of her eager children. 

As for Mr. Jordan, he was turned over to the 
mercies of the commercial traveller and the 
little detective in plain clothes, who would see 
he did not escape until he had fulfilled his obli- 
gation of refunding his fortune to John Car- 
den. 

When Will and his father neared the cottage 
the boy went on ahead to prepare his mother 
for the great surprise, and after she had 
clasped him in her arms and hugged the boy to 
her heart’s content, (with Flo dancing merrily 


Annabel 


207 


around and Egbert smiling bis pleasure at his 
brother’s return,) he said to her earnestly: 

Mother, Mr. Jordan has been discovered 
to be a very wicked man.” 

‘‘ Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” she exclaimed; 
‘‘ what has he done? ” 

<< Why, he’s robbed father, for one thing, by 
stealing his secret and selling it; and besides 
he tried to make us all believe father was dead. ’ ’ 
She gave a sudden cry, at this, and clasped 
her hands above her heart. Then, reading his 
face with questioning eyes, she managed to 
say: 

Speak, Will! What do you mean? ” 

<< Why, father wasn’t lost at sea at all. He’s 
been in Birmingham all this time.” 

She swayed for an instant, as if about to 
fall. Then, drawing herself tense, she said : 

If this is true, why did he never write to 
us? Why has he been silent so long? ” 

“ Because Mr. Jordan made him believe we 
were dead, too, and poor father has been 
mourning for us all these years. ’ ’ 

<< I — I don’t understand,” she murmured, 


208 


'Annabel 


brokenly. ‘‘How do you know all this, my 
son? 

‘ ‘ Father told me. I met him in London, and 
he came back with me.’’ 

A light seemed to break upon her, glorifying 
her worn face. 

‘ ‘ Where is he. Will ? ’ ’ 

“ Here! ” said a new voice, and John Car- 
den stepped within the door and held out his 
arms. 

She fainted then, which was a very natural 
thing to do under such trying circumstances; 
but when she regained consciousness she lay 
happily within her husband’s close embrace, 
and now Will seized the staring Flo by one 
hand and the confused Egbert by the other, 
and led them softly from the room. 

Great was the excitement in Bingham when 
the news of John Carden’s return flew from lip 
to lip, together with the dreadful tale of Mr. 
Jordan’s wickedness. When the latter had 
made restitution and slunk away to some un- 
known part of the country, there was none to 
regret his loss, but many willing to declare 
they had always mistrusted him. Scores of 


4 








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Will and Annabel sat side by side. 


Annabel 


209 


citizens flocked to congratulate Mr. Carden and 
his wife, and the poor woman was happier than 
she had ever been since the days when her 
handsome and talented husband had first led 
her to the altar. 

The two steel magnates talked over their 
business complications together, and decided 
to form a partnership, continuing the manufac- 
ture of the Carden Process Steel both in Bing- 
ham and in Birmingham, and thus controlling 
the industry on both sides of the ocean. 

And Mrs. Williams gave a big dinner to cele- 
brate this important event, and kissed Mrs. 
Carden very sweetly when she arrived upon the 
arm of her distinguished husband. And Nora, 
so happy that she had to pause frequently to 
wipe away the tears that gathered in her kindly 
eyes, quite outdid herself in the preparation of 
the feast. 

Glory be! ’’ she said to the imperturbable 
Thomas, ‘‘ The Cardens, God bless ’em! have 
come to their own again.” 

Will and Annabel sat side by side at the 
table, smiling and contented at being together. 
Even Eeginald was on his good behavior, and 


210 


Annabel 


Gladys, who had conceived a violent love for 
her mother since that lady^s return, was de- 
mure and silent. Flo sat next to Theodore, 
and Mary Louise was beside Egbert, to whom, 
being pitiful of his deficiencies, she was very 
attentive. 

Merrier comrades were never seated at one 
table, and Will was the hero of the hour. Mr. 
Williams made a neat speech, at dessert, prais- 
ing the boy so highly that his cheeks grew as 
red as cherries. Said he : 

‘‘We owe to Will the discovery of Mr. Car-, 
den — ’’ 

“ Oh, no,’^ cried Will. “ We owe that to 
Mrs. Williams.’’ 

“ And the dress suit,” added his father, with 
a smile and a proud glance at his son. 

“ And we owe to Will the discovery of the 
papers in the oak tree,” continued Mr. Will- 
iams. 

“ Why, that was Annabel! ” said Will. 

“ Anyhow,” declared the doctor, who, with 
his napkin tucked under his chin, was su- 
premely happy, “ we owe to Will those famous 
mushrooms we have just eaten.” 


Annabel 


211 


‘‘Oh, Doctor!” remonstrated Will. 
“ You’re the head of the firm, and I’ve no 
doubt you sold them to Nora at a big profit.” 

They all laughed, then; but they were glad 
to laugh at the slightest excuse to be merry. 
And it was an evening they all remembered as 
long as they lived. 

Having made such satisfactory arrangements 
with Mr. Williams to continue the business at 
Bingham, Mr. Carden prepared to return to 
Birmingham, taking with him Mrs. Carden and 
Flo and Egbert. For the scene of his pros- 
perity was to become his future home. It was 
arranged that Will should remain in America 
and attend college, after which he was prom- 
ised Mr. Jordan’s place as secretary at the 
Bingham mills, in order that he might repre- 
sent his father’s American interests. 

“ We’re going to be partners, some day, my 
boy,” said Mr. Williams, slapping Will’s shoul- 
der with characteristic heartiness; “ so hurry 
through college, and get ready for work. And 
remember that every vacation you are to come 
straight to my home.” 

Of course Will was very happy at this pros- 


212 


Annabel 


pect; and, because be must enter Princeton in 
September, be devoted most of tbe days that 
remained to bim in driving or walking with 
Annabel. 

One afternoon they met tbe doctor striding 
down tbe road with bis stout cane in one band 
and bis medicine case in tbe other. 

He baited before Annabel and Will, scowling 
dreadfully. 

Wbat’s this I bear about your going to 
college? ’’ be asked tbe boy. 

‘‘ It’s true,” said Will, smiling. I’m 
afraid. Doctor, I’ll bave to give up growing 
musbrooms. ’ ’ 

You will, eb? Well, sir, wbat’s going to 
become of those poor grandchildren of mine? ” 
growled tbe doctor. 

“ If they are ever in need, sir. I’ll agree to 
support them.” 

‘‘ In that event, we’ll dissolve partnership,” 
said tbe old fellow, less gruffly. Then be added : 

Put out your tongue! ” 

What for? ” asked Will. 

You’ve got symptoms.” 

Of what? ” 


Annabel 


213 


“ A disease that’s mighty common,” de- 
clared the other, with an amused laugh at his 
own pleasantry; ‘‘ but one that seldom proves 
fatal.” 

I don’t know what you mean,” said the 
boy, with downcast eyes. 

Dr. Meigs turned suddenly to Annabel, 
chucking her playfully underneath her chin be- 
fore she could draw back. 

“ Aren’t you in this young lady’s company 
pretty often these days? ” 

Will straightened perceptibly, plainly show- 
ing his confusion. He glanced shyly at Anna- 
bel who stood with downcast eyes, her face suf- 
fused with blushes, then he blurted out: 

Of course I am. Annabel’s an old chum.” 


THE END 



The Aunt Jane’s Nieces 
Series 

BOOKS FOR GIRLS 
By EDITH VAN DYNE 

SEVEN TITLES 

Aunt Janets Nieces 
A unt Jane’s Nieces A broad 
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Aunt Jane’s Nieces in Society 
Aunt Jane’s Nieces and Uncle John 
Aunt Jane’s Nieces on Vacation 


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Illustrated i 2 mo. Uniform cloth binding, 
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Fancy colored jackets. Price 6o cents each 



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Captain Becky Series 

By 

MARGARET LOVE SANDERSON 

“D ESOURCEFUL, self-reliant, sunny-nat- 
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By ELIA W. PEATTIE 
The first book of the **Blue Ridge’* Series 


A zalea is the heroine of a good, wholesome 
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Four half-tone illustrations 
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The second title In THE BLUE RIDGE SERIES 
will be published In 1913 


Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago 



Books for Older Children byL. Frank Baum 


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By L. FRANK BAUM 

I N writing “The Daring 
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yielded to the hundreds of 
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Price 6o cents each. Postage 12 cents. 



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An Ideal Book for Young Travelers 


Travel Notes Abroad 


MY OWN RECORD 



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Bunty Prescott 
at Englishman’s Camp 

By MAJOR M. J. PHILLIPS 

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PRESCOTT 


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The REILLY & BRITTON CO. 

It D 7 4 PUBLISHERS, CHICAGO 



u 


By H. L. SAYLER 


SEVEN TITLES 

1. THE AIRSHIP BOYS Or, The Quest of the Aztec Treasure 

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7. THE AIRSHIP BOYS AS DETECTIVES Or, On Secret Service in 

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Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago 




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